Department of Law seeks $4 million for child‑welfare class‑action as trial nears in May

The Alaska Department of Law told the Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 4 that it requested a $4 million supplemental to support litigation expenses in a class‑action lawsuit challenging the state’s child‑welfare system, with trial set for May 2025. Corey Mills, deputy attorney general for the Civil Division, described the case as a structural reform action that could require long‑term court oversight if plaintiffs prevail.

Mills described the case’s scope and anticipated expenses. “There have been over 1,100,000 pages of discovery that have been produced,” she told the committee, and she said further discovery and depositions are expected leading up to trial. Mills estimated the state might spend in the range of $4 million to $6 million in the near term for litigation activity and compared other states’ experiences: she said Oregon spent about $18 million prior to settling and later paid additional amounts for plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees.

Why it matters: The plaintiffs in this case are seeking broad system changes; if a court imposes structural remedies, other states have faced multiyear costs and judicial oversight that shift control from the legislature and governor to the courts. Mills said the Department of Law’s approach is to move promptly to trial in hopes of resolving the case and limiting longer‑term exposure.

Committee exchange and follow up

Senators asked whether passing legislative reforms would cause the plaintiff group to dismiss the lawsuit; Mills said she had doubts based on how the plaintiffs have behaved in other states and that she could not speak for them. Committee members requested additional detail from the Department of Law about the potential financial exposure and a timeline of anticipated trial‑phase costs.

The committee did not vote on the supplemental request during the Feb. 4 hearing. OMB included the $4 million request in the FY2025 supplemental package presented to the committee.