Legislature considers funding statewide legal services program
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Feb 24, 2010
Today the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill (HB 61) that would create a statewide legal services funding program. There is currently no program in the state the offers legal service in civil cases such as divorce, child custody, or domestic violence. The program would be funded by raising court fees by $10.
The committee room was packed and a variety of groups stood in favor of the bill. Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justic Voigt stood in favor and explained that this will help the entire justice system to run more smoothly because even filing documents correctly is difficult for those representing themselves when they have no legal training. Oversight of the program would lie with the WY Supreme Court.
Justice Voigt said, "This is meat and potatoes. We are talking about helping people in cases such as domestic violence or dealing with collections, often from medical bills."AARP Wyoming, Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming State Bar, and the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association all stood in favor of the legislation.
A representative of the Wyoming Farm Bureau said they had expressed concern, mainly because of action taken in Colorado by a similar program that had done investigations on the life of sheephearders. It appears that their concerns were assuaged and other testimony assured the committee this program is not designed to further specific agendas or create a class action case.
The legislation now goes to the full body of the Senate and has already passed the House.