Legislature approves multi‑million dollar fixes for state public defender budget, raises contract rate to $125

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on March 24 approved a package of supplemental and enhancement funding for the Office of the State Public Defender that lawmakers said is intended to stabilize public defense statewide and increase the hourly rate for contracted attorneys.

Lawmakers voted to add a one‑time $2,500,000 from the Public Defense Fund to align the Child Protective Act appropriation with actual cash transfers; to provide $390,200 from the general fund to cover court‑ordered transcript costs following the Idaho Supreme Court’s State v. Blasek ruling; and to add $3,799,900 one‑time from the general fund to increase personnel and contractor costs for the remainder of the current fiscal year. The committee later approved a larger FY2026 enhancement package that would add ongoing funding and 17.96 full‑time equivalents to the agency.

Why it matters: Committee members said the appropriations respond to a rapid, court‑driven expansion of obligations and to shortages of available contract attorneys after the state began operating the public‑defense system. Lawmakers and staff said the money is needed both to meet the court’s transcript cost ruling and…