Budget Committee Majority Rejects LAO’s ER Proposal
Posted in: Electronic Recording, Furloughs
BREAKING NEWS: Late Wednesday afternoon a majority of the Budget Committee voted to reject the LAO’s proposal to replace official reporters with electronic recording. The Budget Committee also did not adopt the trailer bill language mentioned by Assemblymember Noreen Evans during today’s proceedings. It may, however, be addressed in Monday’s proceedings.
Assemblymember Noreen Evans (Santa Rosa), Chair of the Committee, stated that ER is “highly inappropriate” in complex civil cases and even more so in criminal. She stated that she had worked in the courts as a lawyer for 25 years. She questioned how it could be worth it to implement an entirely new statewide system of keeping the record for a savings of 13 million.
Drew Soderborg, the LAO representative speaking on the issue, cited the 1990 Demonstration Project’s findings, but that they did an inflation adjustment. Assemblymember Evans asked Mr. Soderborg whether he had seen the data about ER having been used briefly in other states and then discontinued. Mr. Soderborg stated they have different data showing ER has been used successfully in other states and the Federal Judiciary. The LAO also stated that the National Center for State Courts cites where ER is used. Senator Denise Ducheny (San Diego) stated that all the savings achieved would be in the areas most dangerous to implement i.e. criminal cases and complex litigation.
The committee voted 3-2 on the Assembly side and 3-1 on the Senate side to reject the LAO proposal.
Please check back for more updates on this breaking news.
Posted on June 10th, 2009 by Gordon
3 Comments
June 10th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
This is great news for the court reporting community!!!! As I understand it, the trailer bill language under consideration relates to utilizing ER equipment to monitor judicial performance and is part of our ongoing work group’s effort. It will be considered along with other judicial budget issues and more on the furloughs on Monday. Things change quickly during this time in Sacramento, so stay posted!
June 10th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
This is fantastic news!
I understand we don’t always agree on the best way for our profession, but it has been very encouraging to see our different organizations come together at such an important moment in our profession. Thank you, to all who have before and continue to give of their time and energies.
Thank you.
June 11th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Way to go YET AGAIN, COCRA and all! What a horrible repeating nightmare! I can’t believe the ignorance that abounds about our profession and how just one powerful politician can threaten us all with extinction!
I hereby vow to join COCRA this year, no matter how much money the IRS says I owe!
Debbie Mayer, RPR CRR CRP