By KPR
Frankfort, KY – Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton is warning Kentucky lawmakers additional budget cuts could jeopardize basic court services protected by the state's constitution. Minton says personnel make up 86-percent of the Judicial Branch budget, and deeper cuts could mean furloughs and layoffs, and closed courthouses.
"I can't quantify for you today, the magnitude of the impact of closing courthouse doors and what it would have on the dockets that we daily must attend to - to the populations in the county jails where these closed courthouses would be located, and to our economy of the commonwealth in general."
Minton says the Judicial Branch needs 112-million dollars over base funding in the next biennium just to maintain the court system's current status. The recommendation will be used in crafting a new state spending plan, which soon should see action in the House.