CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In his testimony to the state Senate Finance Committee Tuesday, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Allen Loughry asked the legislature to take another look at drug courts and their funding.
The judicial branch’s requested amount for the upcoming fiscal year is more than $141 million, which Loughry said was more than one percent of the entire state budget.
Loughry said last year, the branch initially requested more than $143 million, but it was reduced by nearly $2 million.
The Supreme Court is a separate but equal part of government in West Virginia. The legislature cannot cut its budget, but rather only review it.
Loughry said things can be done to curtail spending. One spending issue he noted is the drug court program, which is designed to reduce substance abuse through rehabilitation programs.
He said while drug abuse is the problem and the court has been successful in rehabilitating people, the state spends $6.5 million dollars on funding these courts.
“It is a very serious issue,” Loughry said. “But what you have to ask yourselves is, ‘Is there a better way to handle this situation?'”
Loughry suggested giving the executive branch the authority to assist people with addiction issues.
Another item Loughry mentioned was how the Supreme Court pays county commissions to rent space for family court judges, totaling $1.5 million. Loughry said counties are struggling to find the money to hold the judges, which has forced counties to increase rent for hearings
“It has created a bizarre landlord-tenant situation where counties are demanding more and more money from the Supreme Court, with one county even threatening to sue us,” Loughry said.
Loughry added the judicial branch has done its part to reduce spending as well, including eliminating educational programs and regional law libraries, as well as reducing employment of the state’s law library.
“I want to make the point that at least 87 percent of the Supreme Court’s budget is non-discretionary,” Loughry said, adding salaries for judges are set by the legislature.
“Cutting the Supreme Court’s budget isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
Loughry said he does not expect the state’s financial situation to change “in the immediate future,” though he mentioned the Supreme Court is continuing to look at discretionary funding to decide if additional cuts are possible.