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Joint Budget Committee reduces planned state share for assistant district attorney salaries to 25% starting FY 2026
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Summary
After briefing and member discussion about rural county capacity and budget tradeoffs, the Joint Budget Committee approved staff motion to modify state funding for assistant district attorney salaries to a 25% state share beginning in FY 2026, with no safety clause.
The Joint Budget Committee approved a change to the state’s planned support for assistant district attorney salaries, reducing the state share of the program to 25% and keeping the current statutory effective date in place.
Scott Thompson, JBC staff, presented a draft that contemplated two levers: delaying implementation and reducing the percentage of state support. The draft under consideration included delaying the change from the statutory effective date; an alternate placeholder in that draft reduced the state’s percentage of support from the previously‑authorized 50% to 25%.
Committee members discussed the program’s genesis: the increase and expansion were intended to help rural counties staff offices where recruiting paid prosecutors has been difficult. Staff estimated the full 50% program cost at roughly $6 million annually. Several members expressed support for a lower state share this year on budget grounds while acknowledging the rural‑county staffing concern. Members discussed whether to delay implementation a year or to proceed with a reduced percentage at the current effective date.
On a motion to modify state funding for assistant district attorney salaries to 25% without changing the statutory effective date and without including a safety clause, the committee approved the motion 6–0. The committee directed staff to start the bill in the Senate and to run it with the long bill. Several senators and representatives agreed to be sponsors and cosponsors as the bill proceeds through drafting and introduction.
Ending: The committee chose a compromise that preserves a program increase for FY 2026 at a smaller state share than the statute’s 50% while declining to delay the effective date; staff will prepare the implementing legislation and coordinate sponsors.
