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JITOC endorses judiciary’s request and asks money committees to consider support for tech fund
Summary
The Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee voted to send a cover sheet endorsing the judiciary’s request for more stable IT funding and asked the finance and government-operations committees to consider how to support the judiciary’s tech fund.
The Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee voted to approve a cover sheet on a judiciary memo urging more reliable funding for court technology, directing that the document be sent from JITOC rather than in the chair’s name.
Chair Seth Chase explained the cover sheet is intended to advise the committees of jurisdiction that, from a technical and security perspective, the judiciary’s request appears warranted. Representative Sebelia and other members asked that the cover sheet ask the jurisdictional committees to consider “how to support the judiciary’s tech fund,” rather than specifying the general fund or making an unconditional permanent commitment.
Joseph Hickman, Director for Infrastructure for the judiciary IT department, told the committee judiciary staff had seen improved operational reliability since moving to separate IT support and that the branch had not experienced significant outages. Hickman also said the judiciary’s finance office had previously told Ways and Means it estimates a budget gap of “about $3,000,000 by fiscal year 2028” under the current fee-based funding model.
Members debated whether JITOC should step into funding recommendations or limit its role to technical review. Randy Brock and other members urged caution about JITOC directing specific funding levers, noting the money committees must weigh statewide fiscal priorities. The committee ultimately agreed to a neutral but supportive cover sheet recommending that the committees of jurisdiction “consider supporting the judiciary’s tech fund” and to copy chairs of Government Operations.
The committee then moved and seconded the cover-sheet motion and recorded affirmative votes from Senator Randy Brock, Representative Rene Priestley, Representative Sebelia, Senator Renner, and Chair Seth Chase; Senator Weeks was absent.
Next steps: the cover sheet will be transmitted from JITOC to the relevant legislative committees to accompany the judiciary’s original memo.
