Committee approves additional funding request for Alternate Defense Counsel after divided vote

Scott Thompson, Joint Budget Committee staff, explained the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel (OADC) requested additional resources to cover rising case costs and caseloads driven largely by e‑discovery (electronic evidence such as body‑worn camera footage). Thompson said the office asked for an additional $2.5 million general fund in FY 2024‑25 and nearly $7 million in FY 2025‑26; those FY 2024‑25 dollars are in addition to a $2.8 million supplemental the committee already approved.