Not paying defenders costs state, attorneys

I am an attorney who represents indigent defendants and parents and children in Juvenile Court. This service is required by the Constitution and I have a contract with the state public defender to do this work. The public defender's office ran out of money in February and I have not been paid since. These payments account for two-thirds of my income. I can't pay my bills because the state can't pay theirs. Why? House Republicans refuse to allocate the money.

The governor and the Senate want the bills paid. However, the House Republicans would rather hold me and my fellow attorneys hostage to try to gain some leverage on tax relief. That's funny because by not paying these bills they are about to start accruing interest. House Majority Leader Kraig Paulsen and the Republicans who are so concerned with cutting the budget are about to make Iowans pay interest on bills they refuse to pay.

There is about $2.7 million owed to attorneys. If it all becomes six weeks past due, it accrues interest at $27,000 a month.

Ask your representative to fund indigent defense and not make us wait until July, when the fiscal year resets, before paying us what we are owed.

Troy Powell

Cedar Rapids