Governor Tony Evers signs a bill authored by a local Assembly Representative that addresses the pay disparity between public defenders and assistant district attorneys.

State Representative Amy Loudenbeck says since March 2020, 78 staff have left the Office of the State Public Defender. It has been even more difficult than normal to recruit and hire during the pandemic, and while positions are vacant, cases and clients continue to wait.

2021 Wisconsin Act 7 will allow the State Public Defender to exceed the 10% cap for merit raises for the remainder of this fiscal year.

State Public Defender Kelli Thompson says this is a key tool in retaining staff and ensuring that the criminal legal system isn’t brought to a standstill due to lack of counsel.