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Judiciary Committee weighs dozens of petitions seeking permission to sue the state; claims commissioner asks to handle small claims
Summary
At a March 16, 2026 public hearing, the Judiciary Committee heard the claims commissioner's request to let his office decide smaller claims and reviewed multiple petitions asking the legislature to overturn denials by the commissioner. Lawmakers also heard testimony on pardons fee waivers and a debate over recreational‑land immunity.
The Judiciary Committee met March 16 to hear a long docket of petitions from people seeking permission to sue the state and to consider several bills affecting state liability and civil remedies.
Claims commissioner Robert Shay opened the hearing and defended House Bill 5535, which would allow his office to retain and decide smaller claims (claims the office already opens where claimants ask for monetary awards below roughly $15,000). Shay told lawmakers the office issued about 550 decisions in 2025 and said giving commissioners authority over small claims would speed outcomes for mostly pro se litigants often told to go to Superior Court. Committee members welcomed the goal of faster decisions but asked what structural safeguards would prevent a future backlog and what appeal paths claimants would have.
The committee then heard from more than two dozen petitioners and lawyers…
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