Interpreter Budget
by Eric Bishop

According to the Judicial Council's Office of Governmental Affairs, the Judicial Council has presented a budget request (Fiscal Year 2002-2003) for interpreters to the governor's Department of Finance. The request includes a $7 million increase which would cover the following items: $3 million for increased workload; $950,000 to go towards paying for interpretation for indigent litigants in domestic violence-related family law cases; a portion to cover a $20/day increase for certified interpreters. The Governor will announce his budget next January, at which time we will see whether funds for the interpreter program have been included or not.

Governor Gray Davis cut budget monies for the same $20 a day increase in this fiscal year's recently approved budget, leaving increased funding only for growth in interpreter usage.