[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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],{"_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",6416501,"mediaKeyId","2284175-b5fd825735c0455e615d4ab7ebb665d8","parentId",2284175,"title","Prosecutors, public defenders press for more staff, pay and victim‑services funding in budget hearings","audioSeconds",3297,"startMs",4795000,"endMs",8092000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2284175-b5fd825735c0455e615d4ab7ebb665d8&start=4795&end=8092","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2284175-b5fd825735c0455e615d4ab7ebb665d8/thumbnail_4795000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6416501/Tennessee/Prosecutors-public-defenders-press-for-more-staff-pay-and-victimservices-funding-in-budget-hearings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6416501-0a73bd4728ada9ee43aaed3e5e817fcb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135240&Signature=WnTcRKK2QoMEzdpcTPmt83kJpVS2b2rcrhqL3cT9GT82ruolwOnfP2TMRqEOCZsOmzjiaRm5tMGwHISwyP~P~iFUL3RLFdpmrGzJC6LF7mt7N1Cd7soBMmKtZG~WcSsOiyzy4fd8yxKUsNXKbWTAm-eN0-r4b4OD76tXqKni93VeR1uwfwdq319WaWJfoFnKa8TWMKqTtCHQ8QAAsAScY-BD9~PLq9nAG4DqR3dTKGPMoh3QgHQnl3tWWKCS6jYtgHUpini5mWcdQOS8O1lgy~A1iwNjWxnyiEXDBYXTwviLGNp-01jCIsr4HauiSmnD2xUMPK2IXbXCiL2WRZxH7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","Two justice‑system groups told the committee that staffing and pay remain key constraints to carrying out criminal prosecutions, victim services and indigent defense.

Steven Crump, executive director of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, said his organization compiled district requests for staffing and asked the administration and legislature to address persistent shortfalls. \"In reality... our position ask this last year, we asked for a total, of about 117 positions,\" Crump said, summarizing the combined needs submitted by the 32 elected district attorneys.

Crump described recent appropriations the conference received and identified priorities the conference continues to press: statutory service and experience credits (step raises) for assistant district attorneys and investigators, funding to stabilize child‑support office pay, and permanent pay adjustments for investigator positions that now lag other state law enforcement pay scales.

Crump and DA conference staff said some grant‑funded victim‑services positions remain vulnerable; they noted that federal VOCA funding has declined and that state VCIF funds were increased in the budget to help offset federal declines but that county and local impacts remain uneven.

Patrick Froge, executive director of the Tennessee District Public Defenders Conference, told the committee that public defenders also face workforce shortages and that pay equity with prosecutors matters to retention. Froge said the conference’s analysis — assembled from district surveys and comparisons to weighted‑caseload studies in other states — suggests Tennessee is well short of the number of lawyers needed to meet statutory obligations and local workloads. \"The average of the studies say that we're about a hundred lawyers short,\" he told the committee.

Froge asked for a combination of additional assistant public defenders, investigators, secretaries and social workers, and described a continuing expansion of social‑work positions in defender offices to reduce recidivism and address client needs outside courtrooms.

Both groups told members they have used existing salary equity mechanisms and state appropriations to hire dozens of new positions in recent years, and both emphasized that many positions are now funded locally or by grants (which can be volatile) rather than by stable state recurring appropriations.

Committee members asked about vacancy counts and the composition of the requests; DA staff said the conference’s most recent survey found roughly 32 unfilled positions systemwide (down from higher levels earlier in the decade) and that roughly $7.5 million was the current ask for new recurring positions in the DA conference package. Public defenders said they are continuing to gather weighted‑caseload data using state case management improvements and that a fuller study will inform future requests.

Both presenters asked the committee to consider stable, recurring funding for prosecutor, defender and victim‑services staffing as the FY‑26 budget is finalized.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance, Ways, and Means Committee\tFeb 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference and the District Public Defenders Conference told the Finance committee they need recurring funds for investigators, victim‑witness coordinators, assistant prosecutors and public defenders; both groups described workforce strain and asked for additional positions and pay adjustments.","taxTitle","Finance, Ways, and Means, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",31062,"location","Tennessee","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},6416509,"Tennessee courts seek $17 million to stand up Office of Indigent Conflict and Civil Counsel to ensure appointed lawyers are available",1283,7357000,8640000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2284175-b5fd825735c0455e615d4ab7ebb665d8&start=7357&end=8640","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2284175-b5fd825735c0455e615d4ab7ebb665d8/thumbnail_7357000.jpg","/articles/6416509/Tennessee/Tennessee-courts-seek-17-million-to-stand-up-Office-of-Indigent-Conflict-and-Civil-Counsel-to-ensure-appointed-lawyers-are-available","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6416509-51551363e8b45d2377f8726dc088ad73/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135240&Signature=GCaeT9Og32yVcgEbPQi3dKXX7LIG1etc0JI8saPfosGkdBRXHHW4AGNGDK4azHSwS14Tnd2CqylLUp3RcmhoLRUlwGJGAkkjfBLJlF~h9KCiaR4SJECXpkTPwLEcGxbo-qZvVVFxKL0b3o9DtXJ4VRhX-hFxnCdHR8DjdUd8w21HZWrrFnOjrdi40EzZgK8I9QDWhtCpip0Qeza7PE1vLxbooYRCigXIjawyuV9qXaIxWR4fXo~nY765CsE~EsD89eWw9mzZ9ALlQSU75y2~06NlTS6CEb8D62CzfwLAE~Hjl0zHJh~lJCfn1tI2AOMeDSW9ucChjlubclaUF26Rnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Director Rebecca Long, representing the Administrative Office of the Courts on behalf of the Tennessee Supreme Court, asked the Finance, Ways and Means Committee to fund a new Office of Indigent Conflict and Civil Counsel and to provide other targeted resources for court operations.

\"The burden of finding an attorney to appoint will no longer be on the judge,\" Long said, describing the central aim of the proposal. Under current practice judges must locate private attorneys when the public defender has a conflict; the AOC would instead employ and contract for counsel to ensure timelier appointments and to standardize compensation and oversight.

Nut graf: The AOC said recruiting attorneys to accept court‑appointed work has become difficult even after the legislature raised the hourly rate from $50 to $60. The proposed office would combine on‑staff conflict counsel by grand division with a contracting strategy that mixes retainer, flat‑fee and hourly agreements tailored to case complexity and local market conditions.

Key elements of the courts’ plan:

- Organizational design: three regional directors (one per grand division) and additional attorneys (the AOC requested 14 new positions overall to staff and manage the program). The office would be accountable for appointments, training, data collection and quality controls.

- Contracting flexibility: the office would use retainer and flat‑fee contracts for routine matters and higher rates or hourly arrangements for complex juvenile, dependency/neglect or capital cases.

- Oversight and standards: a commission appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court would provide policy oversight, set verification standards for indigency and conflicts, and evaluate program effectiveness.

- Funding request: $17 million to stand up the office plus several smaller items in the AOC’s FY‑26 request including two judicial assistant positions for Shelby County (restoration after prior reallocations), one staff attorney for the Board of Judicial Conduct, and $30,000 for the Tennessee Justice Bus operating costs.

Long told the committee that the proposed reorganization would reduce delays that now occur when judges must contact private lawyers individually. She said delays in appointment and representation create downstream costs and harms: prosecuted cases can be delayed, placements for children are postponed, and the court system and child services face added expense.

Committee members asked logistics and cost questions, including whether the AOC could use retired or mentoring attorneys under contract. Long said the office would pursue a mix of practitioners, including senior lawyers, mentors and local counsel under flexible contracting arrangements.

The AOC also noted related legislative proposals: a bill to clarify and broaden criminal penalties for threats to judges (cited as House Bill 1353 in the hearing) and House Bill 1038 on juvenile case management support. Long invited members to follow up with staff for a district‑level briefing on how the plan would operate in particular counties.

Pending decisions: the AOC’s proposal requires legislative approval and appropriation; the committee asked the office to return with implementation details and district‑level cost estimates if lawmakers choose to pursue the plan.","The Administrative Office of the Courts proposed a new Office of Indigent Conflict and Civil Counsel that would employ attorneys, contract for representation, and manage appointments to reduce delays in criminal, juvenile and family cases.",{"_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},6416525,"Tennessee finance chief previews FY‑26 plan: $1 billion for roads, education boosts and $17 billion in reserves not stated but budget totals discussed",1872,155000,2027000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2284175-b5fd825735c0455e615d4ab7ebb665d8&start=155&end=2027","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2284175-b5fd825735c0455e615d4ab7ebb665d8/thumbnail_155000.jpg","/articles/6416525/Tennessee/Tennessee-finance-chief-previews-FY26-plan-1-billion-for-roads-education-boosts-and-17-billion-in-reserves-not-stated-but-budget-totals-discussed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6416525-c07599005367049a6bcb4303b76c9d3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135240&Signature=Y3xatOEjf58gtKTTYS7r9lH-tFKuM5eUbwVpRK~uulH0fFyzz5FovJQK4qlHYQ3MuSmrsKj7LnZ2aOt84VNg-EWR7aHaNKSfnxjbJbOd6sC-nFI5YdLjAKUPLJuVkhTjzAfDkRikLkLqgJm6WjjZL~Ozo9ypApPv2uo2r7S2-Ec3Qsc0XkI-BQPG1V5niyltnqNfWsiY5-YJDgcU52uAgw40hKf6ZuUFfeJOA1Epy9kBEXsz5c~AU37mUS5y3Q-XRQGfZXjHs5pOEtNswqHSsitMzRt85o34eeLSgUBrta93SXUEOub7UeQkfI~5sWJwirWn4mEziNJTCo~SnfcMsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Jim Bryson, Commissioner of Finance and Administration, told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee that Tennessee’s proposed FY‑26 budget assumes modest tax growth, taps prior-year recurring funds for one‑time needs and includes new investments in roads, education, higher education and public safety.

Bryson said the administration is using a conservative 2% tax‑revenue growth target set by the funding board and expects federal revenues to fall as COVID emergency funding ends. \"Because of this decline in federal funding, total revenues for the FY‑26 budget are expected to be slightly lower at approximately $58,400,000,000,\" Bryson said. He added that state tax revenues are \"now growing slightly,\" producing an estimated $540 million in new recurring dollars under the growth assumption.

The nut of the presentation was how the state smoothed revenue by using recurring receipts for one‑time investments in prior years. Bryson noted that during high growth years the administration and the General Assembly intentionally spent recurring funds on nonrecurring items—capital projects and other one‑time outlays—so those dollars remained available to smooth later budgets. \"These recurring funds were spent on nonrecurring one‑time expenses such as capital or other one‑time investments,\" he said.

Top spending proposals and claims in Bryson’s overview include:

- Roads: a proposed additional $1 billion investment in the state road fund, plus a legislative proposal to redirect the sales tax on tire sales to transportation, creating an $80 million recurring transfer to support future road maintenance. \"We propose another $1,000,000,000 investment in our state road fund,\" Bryson said.

- K‑12 and higher education: an increase in TISA (the state school funding formula) totaling $244 million for the coming year (Bryson said $164 million was new funding plus an $80 million correction from last year’s overestimate). Higher education would receive a proposed $780 million increase, including $649 million for higher‑education capital projects.

- Public safety and workforce: Bryson said the plan adds 100 new state troopers (part of 372 added over five years) and personnel increases at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, plus $10 million in nuclear workforce education grants.

- Airports and conservation: $34.5 million for commercial airport investment and a $25 million farmland conservation fund. For the Duck River watershed Bryson proposed $24.5 million for planning and $100 million in seed money for a water distribution project that would seek other investors.

- Capital and bonding: the administration proposes roughly $1.4 billion in capital projects, with an estimated $930 million of that to be bonded. Bryson said proposed new debt service would add about $87.5 million in gross debt service ($61.7 million net when expiring debt is removed), raising total debt service by roughly 0.39 percentage points of tax revenues. He cited the funding board’s debt policy and said debt service should remain below the policy threshold of 6% of state tax revenues.

- Rainy‑day fund: a proposed additional $35 million deposit, bringing the balance close to $2.2 billion and above the statutory 8% goal.

Committee members pressed Bryson on a range of follow‑ups. Questions included the funding status of the State’s retirement systems (TCRS), the status and location and timeline for juvenile facility projects such as Woodland Hills and Wilder, whether higher‑education institutions could be allowed to issue their own bonds, and whether the budget offsets declines in federal VOCA victim‑services funding. On VOCA, Bryson said the budget includes an increase in the state VCIF victim‑services fund that he believes will help, and that staff would follow up with members for specific local concerns.

Bryson told the committee the administration will continue to follow the funding board’s conservative approach and work with the legislature through the session.

Coming next: the administration’s FY‑26 proposals will be considered in committee as the budget and appropriation bills are drafted and filed; Bryson and budget office staff pledged to provide members with additional line‑item data on teacher pay components, county‑level capital projects and other requested details.","Commissioner Jim Bryson told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee that Tennessee’s FY‑26 budget assumes 2% tax growth, uses prior recurring revenue for one‑time spending and proposes a $1 billion addition to the state road fund alongside major education and higher‑education investments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Prosecutors, public defenders press for more staff, pay and victim‑services funding in budget hearings

Tennessee courts seek $17 million to stand up Office of Indigent Conflict and Civil Counsel to ensure appointed lawyers are available

Tennessee finance chief previews FY‑26 plan: $1 billion for roads, education boosts and $17 billion in reserves not stated but budget totals discussed