What $36 Million?

February 1, 2007

News reports indicate that there is “$36 million in the state budget for civil legal services.”  What they count in the $36 million includes IOLA funding (at a hoped for $17 million) what we think is DAP $6.74 million, but they call it TANF; some federal Commission of Quality of Care funds and the general fund support of $4.6 million and the new $5 million proposed from LSAF.

Our focus is on securing the state support for the general delivery of core civil legal services.

So, yes, there’s federal funding that passes through the state budget on its way to support some legal services for some population groups. And yes there is funding to support contracts to provide legal assistance to people who have been wrongly denied federal disability benefits.  And yes, funding generated by the legal profession and channeled through the state budget to be distributed by Interest on Lawyer Account (IOLA) Fund is included in the budget as a pass through.  Each of these funding streams, thankfully, has been part of the state budget for years.

What has not been part of the Executive Budget and what Governor Spitzer brings to the table for the first time is a proposed $9.6 million in state funding to support the general delivery of civil legal services. 

This is a great first step for the new administration and it will hopefully build on what the Assembly Majority has been able to do over the years.  We look forward to working with all involved to make sure the current proposed funding becomes real and recurring funding for these critical services.