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Senate backs measure to help small counties pay indigent defense costs for state correctional facilities
Summary
Senate Bill 97 would pool state and local contributions to cover indigent defense costs in counties hosting state correctional facilities. Sponsors said retroactivity would cover ongoing litigation; critics warned of fiscal strain and questioned why larger counties are not treated similarly. The measure passed the Senate on Feb. 13, 1995.
Senate first substitute Bill 97, presented by Senator Blackcomb, would create a program to help smaller counties that host state correctional facilities share the high costs of indigent defense for state inmates. The sponsor told the Senate the Glasgow case and recent inmate homicide-related trials exposed significant unanticipated legal costs for small-county budgets.
Under the bill’s structure as explained on the floor, participating local counties would contribute a local assessment (described on the floor as 0.001 of assessed value) and the state…
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