[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6376151,"mediaKeyId","2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d","parentId",2140488,"title","Guardian ad Litem board requests $16.8 million to raise pay, shore up volunteer program","audioSeconds",436,"startMs",5966000,"endMs",6402000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d&start=5966&end=6402","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d/thumbnail_5966000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6376151/Minnesota/Guardian-ad-Litem-board-requests-168-million-to-raise-pay-shore-up-volunteer-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376151-bfcb65a0173b6ed8aa08162788940c10/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084395&Signature=ghxEsws87euNjMDUfTCpicBoCzzlfiEg2Gh0mmgXqbZCNQeR~oPcahFZ8GSnEd54hwOcZ5nWN88deY5jKeq3DFVmaIhmB8sbwizSEMvSkdmsUfhJ5LRyyuroqMhZ0top-VaghXXg1PNk3CXh2tg7uxNDUG7dvgOFkammS7p1ah26XvoZuAEeHGjL2bBnEl6xBsDtFPLMh86Ver0KWAPm~rgsQ52EyDzFGCU8pFq1qXRbffq0rWhguAu8moL38QfzAGG2a6vMMrZfnCrn-0MewdohdWGf5RdzXKUryDN2ybd2u3Y7H2lpAHBq10qE1xn0Ckoc1KWBwdwZbHaRDtlwkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Senate Media Services","date","2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","article","Tammy Baker Olsen, State Program Administrator for the Minnesota Guardian ad Litem Board, told the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Jan. 22 that the program needs increased compensation to retain staff who advocate for children in child‑protection and family court proceedings.

\"Guardians of Litem are an independent voice representing the best interest of children,\" Baker Olsen said in testimony describing the program’s duties, which include interviewing children and caregivers, reviewing case records, and submitting written and oral recommendations to the court.

She told senators the program advocated for more than 12,000 children in the last year and appeared in over 30,000 court proceedings. The program currently manages statewide supervision and regionalized ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) advocacy and has centralized some district management to create efficiencies. Baker Olsen said low wages are the leading cause of staff departures and that the program commissioned a compensation study showing starting Guardian ad Litem pay is out of alignment with comparable court roles.

Baker Olsen said the board’s FY2026–27 request asks for $16,365,000 to address compensation and employer health insurance premium increases and $476,000 to strengthen the volunteer Guardian ad Litem program (including two supervisors to support volunteers). She told the committee starting wage for appointed Guardians is currently about $23.12 per hour (roughly $48,000 annually) and that wage equalization would improve retention and reduce recruiting and training costs.

Committee members asked whether the request would allow expansion of family‑court FTEs; Baker Olsen replied the main focus is compensation, with limited expansion (two supervisors) specifically for volunteer program growth. Senators emphasized the program’s importance and urged efforts to expand and better supervise volunteers where feasible. The hearing was informational; no appropriation votes were taken.

Ending: The board said it will provide additional detail on proposed wage targets and implementation once negotiations with unions and budget analysts proceed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - 01/22/25","oneSentenceSummary","The state Guardian ad Litem program told senators it needs higher compensation to retain staff and to expand volunteer supervision; the board requested $16,365,000 for compensation and insurance increases plus $476,000 for volunteer program capacity.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376156,"Civil legal aid asks for nearly $29.3 million over biennium to expand capacity and sustain salaries",1006,4608000,5614000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d&start=4608&end=5614","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d/thumbnail_4608000.jpg","/articles/6376156/Minnesota/Civil-legal-aid-asks-for-nearly-293-million-over-biennium-to-expand-capacity-and-sustain-salaries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376156-10578d54caee5c83400f9c42ec6a292b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084395&Signature=S0-fu7inAAKuA4kvzuyoEqAe8jzBFVFaoD68OXZIG0WG0FNMrHpZOyAKJvlHoD2z52p0OcVBEW26ag9ToZlIxOtRc2crUKiYV0gsbku9gheiA3LR7I7ISumKhs1Do6zGkOWiF4EufUjePnIZIplZcUv4e~nF7W7q~AVEoBvbVpGjBsvR~nzNdMP1sM-HpWRwbB0D~uiTxI6rJM-ICnmNI31fGRFsZvGYxCoH46D9~Pr7SCQm~1qUX-wo-o2KUwWvT3-O6WWtzIb-hADLfz8NAgJc4PF0cLyFdF~ExczoZKO7C4STe-zPmhOoyLiO1pffDLUDSA8wPcKbtmGxBLbHzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Doria Rapoport, Executive Director of Justice North, and Milo Mumgaard, Executive Director of Mid Minnesota Legal Aid, told the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee that recent state investments dramatically reduced turnover and improved service capacity, and they asked for further biennial funding to continue that progress.

Rapoport described a client case in which civil legal aid representation preserved a parent’s custody and secured child support and a financial settlement. \"This happened because of the investment in civil legal aid,\" she said, urging continued support to reduce unmet legal needs among low‑income Minnesotans.

Presenters outlined the scope of civil legal services across the state: programs close tens of thousands of cases annually (the presenters cited nearly 48,000 case closures in 2023 and more than 115,000 Minnesotans served across programs). They said staff‑attorney starting salaries for many programs are now at about $80,000 and credited the prior biennial increase with cutting turnover from about 32% in 2021 to roughly 14.6% in 2024.

The funding request for the FY2026–27 biennium was presented as a phased plan: an $8,830,000 increase over base in FY2026 and an additional $20,508,000 in FY2027 (a two‑year total request of $29,338,000). The presenters said the plan stretches an earlier six‑year compensation and capacity roadmap to a ten‑year timeline in response to the state forecast and would continue salary improvements and capacity building so more eligible low‑income residents can be served.

Rapoport and Mumgaard emphasized equity measures: roughly 52% of clients served in 2023 were Black, Indigenous or people of color, and legal aid staff provide statewide regional services and targeted programs to address disability, domestic violence and other priority areas. They also cited a return‑on‑investment study noting that every dollar invested in civil legal services yields an estimated $4.32 in economic benefit to clients and communities.

Ending: The presenters asked the committee to preserve and continue funding increases so the civil legal services network can further reduce the number of eligible clients turned away; no committee action was taken at the hearing.","Legal aid presenters credited recent state investments with improving retention and outcomes, then requested $29.34 million over the FY2026–27 biennium (phased) to continue salary improvements and expand capacity, especially in rural areas.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376159,"Public defenders brief senators: caseloads, digital evidence and staffing top concerns",875,3415000,4290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d&start=3415&end=4290","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d/thumbnail_3415000.jpg","/articles/6376159/Minnesota/Public-defenders-brief-senators-caseloads-digital-evidence-and-staffing-top-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376159-7dbeabbceb63f13004161aaa857cd741/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084395&Signature=Kk8SZsvi4o4XdYtkhGWJ9cCCFPD~LXoqN948J~8mnBZsKT2qwfPitkZYOiXxu4L-FcCAg7RQroDtBKjZmxcfR36bqOH8ErebPsRUjxZVh~QhO8gy-KnTEYHEJRpSTzMHpYE3gAmwyXc7f8ShHXfWv8tMID9UkEfqrVYTuEfKlz9uc2~nfi6q4KYUlmp3ET3xydErlFvGGFr9tuzx2b0ZlsHtXzS4NhyDxcryK9jQ-hU9cI8FY5QDxT8MntZboJ8i-gPetv6bNjZ0-Q5RzrvXaza72HD09CQUVmEaXPdXAVFpFQw2-vaCDu341BX8qh6FOXD2JCjcTrh2unqm6ZKfLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bill Ward, State Public Defender, and Kevin Keiser, Chief Administrator for the Board of Public Defense, presented to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Jan. 22 about workload, staffing and budget needs for the state’s public defense system.

Keiser said the Board of Public Defense provides constitutionally and statutorily mandated criminal‑defense services in every county courthouse and appellate court in Minnesota. He described a roughly $164,000,000 annual budget, with about 90% devoted to personnel, and noted the system handled roughly 130,000 trial‑level matters and about 36,100 direct appeals in the most recent reporting period.

Keiser told the committee that public defenders are required to accept all assigned cases. \"We are mandated to take whatever cases come down the pipe,\" he said, describing that model as limiting the agency’s ability to triage workload. He outlined changes since the last biennium: salary adjustments that narrowed the gap with prosecutors, a reduction in resignation rates from about 15% to approximately 5–6% in some units, and an increase in applicant pools by about one‑third. Keiser said those investments helped stabilize staffing but must be maintained to avoid renewed turnover.

Keiser and Ward highlighted growing demands on defenders: large volumes of audio and video evidence (measured in hundreds of terabytes), expanded forensic and scientific evidence, and more clients with co‑occurring mental‑health, chemical‑dependency and traumatic‑brain‑injury needs. Keiser said the office’s internal caseload metric currently averages about 4.5 hours per case unit and that state caseload standards date from 1991; the office is developing an updated state standard in the wake of national RAND findings.

The board’s budget request presented to the committee focuses on two priorities: sustain recent compensation improvements to preserve parity with prosecuting agencies, and fund workload reductions (a stated goal to reduce caseloads by about 15% over two years). Committee members praised public defenders’ work and acknowledged the operational pressures in courthouses; the hearing was informational and produced no committee vote.

Ending: The board said it will continue to provide detailed budget estimates to the legislature; no appropriation action occurred at this meeting.","The Board of Public Defense described workload pressures, technological demands and the need to sustain recent salary parity with prosecutors. The board seeks ongoing funding to maintain salary gains and to reduce caseloads over two years.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376164,"Judicial branch asks for 12% budget increase, cites staffing, accessibility and service-cost pressures",664,541000,1205000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d&start=541&end=1205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140488-3488182c68eaa7e496b57273293c112d/thumbnail_541000.jpg","/articles/6376164/Minnesota/Judicial-branch-asks-for-12-budget-increase-cites-staffing-accessibility-and-service-cost-pressures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376164-5eb46199b4650762d1eaa6368f22b473/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084395&Signature=UvnUGSxmDxk0RV86NkRrJy~f-SDwduCm9YbucgN0fI1zBo8kTcBBhbCqdggFGJCIpMWc8N6O-N1TQnoKnhCTLsZUu2Z5E2rWII41nsrLZMM9E~HzdBwIJPNl6ifGw2gqNIP26~JXF1FxW2out1ujLGdNTdUjn28Dhf1Y2WqjM5ovbddO0NpQVzGTauisJF1js56W9dlGoP8MyvkbspTZJCgloHV4RndXvOhvDCwxoVxdHSdnUxmIDc1gfg~B-YIPpWtz4fz~PQnBFeHam186BnIyGQgFfgsXJgn0YbH6wiGZb3dLAbAs0KGA5DPP-lUvF8C5yK~mvrPy1BfiSdhcOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jeff Schorba, State Court Administrator, told the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Jan. 22 that the Judicial Branch seeks support for its FY2026–27 biennial budget request, describing an approximately 12% increase to the branch’s base budget to meet operational and statutory obligations.

The request, Schorba said, is driven by personnel and mandated service costs. \"Justice delayed is justice denied,\" he said, arguing the branch must maintain competitive pay to retain and recruit judges and roughly 2,800 court staff who process about 1,000,000 filings a year. He described the FY2025 appropriation level as about $479,000,000 and said last session the branch received roughly $86,000,000 in ongoing funding and about $52,000,000 in one-time funding.

Scholarly and practical pressures cited in the presentation included a 15% increase in employee turnover since 2020, a 27% fall in applicants per posted position, a 143% increase in psychological evaluations since 2020, and rapidly rising interpreter needs. Schorba said interpreter events have nearly doubled since 2019 and now encompass services in roughly 134 languages. He told the committee the branch is requesting a set of targeted investments: a 6% employee compensation pool, a market-based raise for psychological examiners from $136 to $175 per hour, a proposal to increase juror pay from $20 to $100 per day to broaden jury pools, $5.1 million (one-time) for digital accessibility work to meet new federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act rule effective April 24, 2026, and approximately $4.0 million (one-time) to modernize partner access to court records.

Schorba told senators the branch is funded primarily through legislative appropriation and does not retain fines or fees. He described recent administrative changes including a new remote‑hearing framework to take effect Feb. 3 and several technology upgrades (a digital exhibit system, e check‑in and an online scheduling tool for incarcerated individuals).

Committee members asked about compensation mechanics, vacancies and technical projects. Schorba described the branch’s merit-based compensation pool for nonjudicial staff and said unfilled positions are \"very, very low\" while acknowledging recruiting challenges in some districts. On digital accessibility, he said the branch is coordinating with executive-branch work already funded by the state and that spreading large projects over more years would lengthen timelines.

The hearing was informational; no appropriation votes were taken. Committee members repeatedly noted the branch represents a small share of the general fund (Schorba put it at roughly 1.5%), while performing constitutionally mandated functions.

Ending note: Committee members said they will continue discussions with the executive branch and legislative leadership as budget negotiations proceed in coming months.","State court administration briefed the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on budget requests for FY2026–27, seeking a roughly 12% increase to address compensation, digital accessibility, rising interpreter and psychological examiner costs, and jury pay.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Guardian ad Litem board requests $16.8 million to raise pay, shore up volunteer program

Civil legal aid asks for nearly $29.3 million over biennium to expand capacity and sustain salaries

Public defenders brief senators: caseloads, digital evidence and staffing top concerns

Judicial branch asks for 12% budget increase, cites staffing, accessibility and service-cost pressures