February 18, 2019 – Today Wisconsin Assembly Republicans unveiled comprehensive criminal justice budget initiatives​ at multiple press conferences held around the state.

In response, the State Bar of Wisconsin issued the following statement:

The State Bar of Wisconsin strongly supports pay progression for assistant district attorneys and public defenders, an increase in the rate paid to private attorneys who take public defender cases, a rate that has remained stagnant since 1995, and additional financial resources for our court system.  It’s encouraging to see support for and recognition that funding for the criminal justice system has to increase.  We have a crisis within our system that must be addressed within this budget cycle and we look forward to working with all parties during the upcoming legislative session. – Christopher Rogers, President