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Clip: Season 43 Episode 7 | 3m 27s | Video has closed captioning.
Host Barry Anderson and guests discuss public defenders. Watch Your Legislators live Thursdays at 8pm on Pioneer PBS or online at https://pioneer.org/live, or https://www.facebook.com/yourlegislators/ Guests this week: Sen. Bill Weber (R), District 21, Luverne; Sen. Jennifer McEwen (DFL), District 08, Duluth; Rep. Dave Baker (R), District 16B, Willmar
Aired: 03/09/23
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OF CONVERSATIONS AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
I WANT TO GO TO SENATOR MCEWEN AND TALK ABOUT PUBLIC DEFENDER PIECE.
ONE OF THE LEGISLATIVE DECISIONS HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
AS I UNDERSTAND, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED THE BILL AND INVOLVED FUNDING INTO THE PUBLIC DEFENDER SYSTEM.
MAYBE YOU CAN TELL US, SENATOR MCEWEN, WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO.
I NEGLECTED TO NOTE THE COMMITTEES I'M ON.
I'M ON THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE LABOR COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR OF ENVIRONMENT, LEGACY AND CLIMATE AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND THE ENERGY.
SO ONTO THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS ISSUE, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
PUBLIC DEFENDERS IN OUR STATE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE CHRONICALLY OVERWORKED AND HAVE ENORMOUS CASELOADS AND THE STAFF ALSO THAT WORKS AT THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE CARRY ENORMOUS CASELOADS TRYING TO SUPPORT THOSE CASES.
I THINK THAT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND WHAT WE HAVE HEARD CALLED FOR IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS PAY PARITY WITH PROSECUTORS.
IT'S ALWAYS A BIG DEAL.
WHEN PUBLIC DEFENDERS AND PROSECUTORS COMPARE THEIR SALARIES, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE THE SAME SORT OF TRIAL EXPERIENCE AND YEARS UNDER THEIR BELT DOING THIS WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY, PUBLIC DEFENDERS HAVE BEEN PAID LESS THAN PROSECUTORS DOING THE WORK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COURTROOM.
SO THAT PAY PERIOD PARITY IS A REALLY BIG DEAL AND JUST THE INCREASED FUNDING FOR ALL OF THE OFFICES AROUND THE STATE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN REALLY HEARTENING TO SEE, AND WE HAVE SEEN IT ACROSS THE TWO HOUSES, HOUSE AND THE SENATE AND THE GOVERNOR'S ADMINISTRATION RECOGNIZING THIS AS WELL IN THE HOUSE IN PARTICULAR, WE SAW REPRESENTATIVE JAMIE BECKER -- SHE'S A PROSECUTOR, AND SHE BRINGS THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK WITHOUT PUBLIC DEFENDERS.
NO MATTER HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT A CERTAIN CASE, WE ALL HAVE STRONG EMOTIONS AROUND DIFFERENT STORIES THAT WE MAY HEAR ABOUT THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY, SPANNING THE SPECTRUM, BUT PART OF THE FUNDAMENTAL FOUNDATION FOR OUR SOCIETY IS THAT EVERYBODY DESERVES A DEFENSE, FAIR DEFENSE TO BE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL FOUND GUILTY, IT'S ESSENTIAL IN OUR STATE AND THE INTEGRITY IS THE FUNDING IT ADEQUATELY.
IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE.
>> Barry: ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE PUBLIC DEFENDER SERVICES, MANY OF OUR VIEWERS, NOT ALL, BUT MANY OF OUR VIEWERS ARE FROM GREATER MINNESOTA, AND PUBLIC DEFENDER RESOURCES IN GREATER MINNESOTA HAVE BEEN A PARTICULAR ISSUE, AND THIS FUNDING IMPROVEMENT MAY VERY WELL HELP WITH THAT PROBLEM.
THE OTHER POINT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE IS THIS WAS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT AS I RECALL.
>> THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
