Legal Aid Funding in Jeopardy
The North Carolina House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee has passed a provision in the 2017 budget entitled “Eliminate Access to Civil Justice Funds.” If enacted as written, this provision would eliminate $1.7 million in combined funding for Pisgah Legal Services, Legal Aid of North Carolina, and Legal Aid of Southern Piedmont. Eliminating Access to Civil Justice Funds would cause drastic reductions in legal aid agencies’ services to those most in need, undermining equal access to justice for North Carolina citizens.
WLOS is covering the story, and recently featured PLS managing attorney Jaclyn Kiger on the consequences of such cuts:
The budget process is moving quickly. The House passed its budget on Friday. The Senate budget passed last month made no changes to legal aid funding. Leadership of the House and Senate will be meeting to reconcile the budget this week. Please contact the members of the budget reconciliation committee today, as well as other representatives you may know, to express your support for Pisgah Legal and our fellow legal services providers across the state. Ask them to maintain funding for important legal aid across North Carolina that helps thousands of low-income citizens every year.
|
Reconciliation Committee: Click on a name to find contact information. House Rep. Nelson Dollar, House Senior Chair Rep. Dean Arp, House Chair Rep. Justin P. Burr, House Chair Rep. John Faircloth, House Chair Rep. Linda P. Johnson, House Chair Rep. Donny Lambeth, House Chair Rep. Chuck McGrady, House Chair |
|
Sen. Harry Brown, Senate Chair Sen. Kathy Harrington, Senate Chair Sen. Brent Jackson, Senate Chair |