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Public defender asks legislature to expand building fund, flags capital‑defense costs
Summary
The state public defender told the committee that recent investments in owned office buildings have cut operating costs in some districts and asked for $2 million additional state funding to buy or replenish buildings in Jefferson, Winn and LaSalle parishes. The defender also highlighted annual costs of capital and death‑penalty representation.
State public defender leadership briefed the committee on the office's FY26 recommendations and pressed for additional funding for district office buildings and for capital defense resources.
Public defender leadership said the building fund created in recent sessions has been "transformative," enabling the office to buy district headquarters in multiple parishes and reduce recurring rent costs; the office's purchase of a building in Lake Charles was cited as an example that also produces rental income for the local defender office. The public defender asked for $2 million in new state funding on top of the governor's executive request to…
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