The Senate on the floor rejected a measure that would have raised the jurisdictional limit in justice courts from $3,500 to $5,000 and authorized an additional discretionary $30 filing fee for cases over $3,500.

Supporters said the amendment preserves fee revenue for clerks while opponents said the proposal had been rushed and left open questions about workload and compensation for justice court judges.

Senator Wiggins, sponsor of the amendment, said the change “will make them whole” when referring to justice court clerks and the fee structure. He described the amendment as a response to concerns from the Circuit Clerks Association and said it “adds in the fees that they make” while preserving existing authority that allows a $50 assessment in certain cases.

Senator DeBarr confirmed the sponsor had consulted the Circuit Clerks Association and asked whether the clerks would support the bill with the amendment; Wiggins said he had spoken with the association’s president and reported that she indicated support. Senator Hobson repeatedly pressed for clarity on whether the jurisdictional limit was being changed (it was) and how fees already authorized for circuit clerks would interact with the amendment. “I’m probably more confused now than I was at the beginning of this,” Hobson said during questioning.

Senator Felegain asked whether the amendment addressed compensation for justice court judges, who are not paid on a per-filing basis the way clerks are. Wiggins replied, “No. Senator, there is not,” and said he had not included a judge salary change because he lacked statewide data on how often justice courts meet. Several senators expressed concern about the bill’s timing and informational gaps, including how often justice courts sit in different jurisdictions.

Senators voted on the measure by morning roll call. On the recorded vote the clerk announced that the measure failed with 29 no votes and one present. The clerk later recorded a separate tally of 28 no votes when the item returned to the calendar; the end result reported on the floor was that the bill did not pass.

The debate focused on two core issues: whether raising the jurisdictional limit would impose meaningful new workload on justice courts and whether the proposed fee changes fairly compensated clerks without disadvantaging litigants. Sponsor Wiggins said he hoped to continue negotiations and noted the bill would proceed to the other chamber, saying it “gotta go to the house.” The Senate took no further action on the measure during the session recorded in the transcript.