To the Editor:
There are only a few weeks left in the legislative session and the future of court transcripts hangs in the balance. HB 5046 would increase Michigan’s per-page rate for court transcripts after remaining stagnant for 38 long years. The bill passed the House on November 1, 2023, with a 104-6 vote. On October 30th, 2024, the bill was reported out of the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety. The bill now awaits a third reading and vote on the Senate floor to be eligible for Governor Whitmer’s signature.
Michigan court reporters and recorders have been attempting to increase their page rate for decades. The latest advancement through committee is the furthest the bill has progressed. The court reporters and recorders in attendance at the October 30th hearing donned gold ribbons. Their Gold Ribbon Campaign signifies Michigan judicial system’s right to the gold standard of transcript production by certified, qualified, professionals who are being forced out of the profession by antiquated, unfair pay. If the bill is not given a vote in the final days of this lame duck session many will face the decision of whether to continue producing transcripts for Michigan courts or take their skills elsewhere.
Michigan has the lowest page rate in the nation and has some of the most stringent certification requirements. The bill would increase the page rate from $1.75 per page (a rate set in 1986) to $3.75 per page putting Michigan in line with the national average and closer to the rate of neighboring states.
Transcripts are not just a line item on a budget. They are carefully crafted documents created by highly skilled professionals who take their job very seriously. Court reporters and recorders take great pride in creating an accurate record and understand that lives are on the line with the words that are attached to the page. The record should not be allowed to deteriorate because of inadequate compensation to those charged with guarding the record.
The low page rate has caused a shortage of court reporters and recorders willing to produce court transcripts. This in turn has created an access to justice issue with delayed bindovers and appeals affecting in-custody defendants and adjudication of all types of cases. HB 5046 needs to be passed to begin to reverse the negative effects of ignoring this regulation.
Technical advancements will surely change procedures as the years progress, but until sufficient technology is implemented and replaces human court reporters and recorders completely, the page rate needs to adequately adjust to reflect a living wage.
If the bill is not made law this session I fear a strike and/or exodus of court reporters and recorders willing to produce transcripts at the 1986 rate. Many are no longer amenable to demeaning themselves while they await action by the decision-makers in Lansing.
We would encourage anyone in the legal community that values the integrity of the record, and court reporters and recorders themselves, to reach out to your Senator and Senate leadership and urge them to bring HB 5046 up for a vote, and to vote “YES” on fair pay for Michigan court reporters and recorders.
Jacqueline Reed
Michigan Electronic Court Reporters Association (MECRA)
Kelli Werner
Michigan Association of Professional Court Reporters (MAPCR)
Kara Van Dam
Michigan Association of Freelance Court Reporters (MAFCR)
There are only a few weeks left in the legislative session and the future of court transcripts hangs in the balance. HB 5046 would increase Michigan’s per-page rate for court transcripts after remaining stagnant for 38 long years. The bill passed the House on November 1, 2023, with a 104-6 vote. On October 30th, 2024, the bill was reported out of the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety. The bill now awaits a third reading and vote on the Senate floor to be eligible for Governor Whitmer’s signature.
Michigan court reporters and recorders have been attempting to increase their page rate for decades. The latest advancement through committee is the furthest the bill has progressed. The court reporters and recorders in attendance at the October 30th hearing donned gold ribbons. Their Gold Ribbon Campaign signifies Michigan judicial system’s right to the gold standard of transcript production by certified, qualified, professionals who are being forced out of the profession by antiquated, unfair pay. If the bill is not given a vote in the final days of this lame duck session many will face the decision of whether to continue producing transcripts for Michigan courts or take their skills elsewhere.
Michigan has the lowest page rate in the nation and has some of the most stringent certification requirements. The bill would increase the page rate from $1.75 per page (a rate set in 1986) to $3.75 per page putting Michigan in line with the national average and closer to the rate of neighboring states.
Transcripts are not just a line item on a budget. They are carefully crafted documents created by highly skilled professionals who take their job very seriously. Court reporters and recorders take great pride in creating an accurate record and understand that lives are on the line with the words that are attached to the page. The record should not be allowed to deteriorate because of inadequate compensation to those charged with guarding the record.
The low page rate has caused a shortage of court reporters and recorders willing to produce court transcripts. This in turn has created an access to justice issue with delayed bindovers and appeals affecting in-custody defendants and adjudication of all types of cases. HB 5046 needs to be passed to begin to reverse the negative effects of ignoring this regulation.
Technical advancements will surely change procedures as the years progress, but until sufficient technology is implemented and replaces human court reporters and recorders completely, the page rate needs to adequately adjust to reflect a living wage.
If the bill is not made law this session I fear a strike and/or exodus of court reporters and recorders willing to produce transcripts at the 1986 rate. Many are no longer amenable to demeaning themselves while they await action by the decision-makers in Lansing.
We would encourage anyone in the legal community that values the integrity of the record, and court reporters and recorders themselves, to reach out to your Senator and Senate leadership and urge them to bring HB 5046 up for a vote, and to vote “YES” on fair pay for Michigan court reporters and recorders.
Jacqueline Reed
Michigan Electronic Court Reporters Association (MECRA)
Kelli Werner
Michigan Association of Professional Court Reporters (MAPCR)
Kara Van Dam
Michigan Association of Freelance Court Reporters (MAFCR)
