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Ohio Public Defender urges sustained funding in HB 96, proposes Northwest Regional Hub pilot and cap changes for appointed counsel
Summary
State Public Defender Elizabeth Miller told the Senate Finance Committee that House Bill 96’s funding and statutory provisions are critical to addressing attorney shortages, support a Northwest Regional Hub pilot, raise reimbursement levels to counties and remove caps on appointed‑counsel hourly rates to help underserved rural counties.
Elizabeth Miller, state public defender and head of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD), asked senators on April 8 to support the OPD’s operating budget and statutory changes included in Sub House Bill 96 that the office says are needed to address attorney shortages and improve indigent defense delivery.
"The OPD employs approximately 200 employees. We're small but mighty," Miller said, opening her remarks and outlining the OPD’s five budget components: central operating costs, multi‑county branch offices, reimbursement to counties, pass‑through funding for the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, and a new component for a pilot Northwest Regional Hub.
Miller emphasized the operating budget in the executive proposal — $40 million over the biennium — and said that amount would…
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