TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas Chief Justice Lawton Nuss thanked legislators on Wednesday for approving a pay increase for some judicial system employees, but he warned that more funding is needed to prevent closing courthouses statewide after July 1.
Nuss said during his annual State of the Judiciary address that a measure passed earlier in the day by the House would provide some salary increase for certain court employees, but not judges. But he said that the measure doesn’t address a projected $8.25 million shortfall in the judicial branch budget in the next fiscal year.
“If some additional money is not provided, then Kansas court employees will be sent home without pay and Kansas courts statewide will be closed,” Nuss said. “The only question is for how long.”
Employee costs account for 96 percent of the judicial budget, including judges and clerical staff. The courts were closed temporarily in 2010 and 2012, while other positions have been left vacant. Nuss said proper funding was vital for providing equal justice for all residents, as well as offering certainty to the business community that relies on the courts for relief.
“Isn’t four years of understaffing enough?” he said.
Senate Vice President Jeff King said he hoped legislators would act on a package of bills that he introduced Wednesday that would implement some of the recommendations of a task force Nuss appointed in 2012. King served on that panel and said enacting the proposals could improve efficiency within the judicial branch and ease the crunch for additional revenues.
“I look forward to working with the Supreme Court on these bills,” said King, an Independence Republican.
There was no mention in Nuss’ address of the tense relations between legislators and the courts, in particular over pending rulings on school funding and changes made in 2013 to the way judges to the Court of Appeals are selected.
King said he hoped the legislative and judicial branches could work through whatever differences may exist.
“Cooperation doesn’t mean that you don’t disagree,” he said.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback used his State of the State address Jan. 15 to make the point that the Kansas Constitution relegates the power to appropriate money only to the Legislature. He also opined that “too many decisions are made by unaccountable, opaque institutions.”
Nuss declined to respond to those remarks, saying he would leave that to others to interpret and would focus on areas where the branches could find agreement.
“The lines of communication are open. Give us a call,” he said.
The address is required by the Kansas Constitution each year from the chief justice. This was the first one delivered from the Supreme Court chambers and the first broadcast on the Internet. Dozens of legislators, attorneys and members of the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court attended.
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