By Liz Nass
Gongwer News Service
The Department of Attorney General saw cuts in the final conference budget but came out relatively unscathed compared to the previous proposal from the House.
The top line stands at $126.4 million, which is a 2.6% overall reduction to the budget and a 21% reduction in General Fund dollars. Last year's budget was around $129.7 million.
One of the standout changes was a $8.9 million reduction in General Fund dollars for ongoing operations in administrative efficiency reductions. The House proposed cutting $12.4 million in its budget proposal. Other changes include $1.8 million in cuts for one-time appropriations, including the General Fund support for Operation Survivor Justice, the exclusion of $2.7 million for the Lawsuit Settlement Proceeds Fund to reflect the Flint water investigation, and a $2.6 million cut for moving the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council to the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
The budget retained the Sexual Assault Kit Testing boilerplate language that was deleted from the House's proposed budget, added $8 million for restricted revenue in the Attorney General Support Fund and funds for both the Organized Retail Crime Unit and Violence Against Women Federal Grant.
Lawsuit boilerplate language excluded with legislative approval for certain legal action like multi-state lawsuits against the federal government not included in the budget. However, the notification of lawsuit settlements and appropriations process for state-initiated tobacco litigation and opioid litigation was retained after the Executive Office wanted to delete the appropriations process. Other exclusions include requiring Human Trafficking Commission Support Service and the Consumer Protection Relief Task Force.
When the House dropped their proposal that called for cutting of the office's fund by 30%, Nessel compared the effects to the horror movie "The Purge" and said the office would have seen staffing cuts that would prevent them from helping with appellate proceedings in counties and federal actions.
The Sexual Assault Kit Testing program was highly contested in the budget, House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, arguing that the attorney general's office first needed to spend backlog money before getting more as well as spend less time attacking President Donald Trump and "finishing the job."
The department did not respond to requests for comments on the budget at the time of publication.
Gongwer News Service
The Department of Attorney General saw cuts in the final conference budget but came out relatively unscathed compared to the previous proposal from the House.
The top line stands at $126.4 million, which is a 2.6% overall reduction to the budget and a 21% reduction in General Fund dollars. Last year's budget was around $129.7 million.
One of the standout changes was a $8.9 million reduction in General Fund dollars for ongoing operations in administrative efficiency reductions. The House proposed cutting $12.4 million in its budget proposal. Other changes include $1.8 million in cuts for one-time appropriations, including the General Fund support for Operation Survivor Justice, the exclusion of $2.7 million for the Lawsuit Settlement Proceeds Fund to reflect the Flint water investigation, and a $2.6 million cut for moving the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council to the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
The budget retained the Sexual Assault Kit Testing boilerplate language that was deleted from the House's proposed budget, added $8 million for restricted revenue in the Attorney General Support Fund and funds for both the Organized Retail Crime Unit and Violence Against Women Federal Grant.
Lawsuit boilerplate language excluded with legislative approval for certain legal action like multi-state lawsuits against the federal government not included in the budget. However, the notification of lawsuit settlements and appropriations process for state-initiated tobacco litigation and opioid litigation was retained after the Executive Office wanted to delete the appropriations process. Other exclusions include requiring Human Trafficking Commission Support Service and the Consumer Protection Relief Task Force.
When the House dropped their proposal that called for cutting of the office's fund by 30%, Nessel compared the effects to the horror movie "The Purge" and said the office would have seen staffing cuts that would prevent them from helping with appellate proceedings in counties and federal actions.
The Sexual Assault Kit Testing program was highly contested in the budget, House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, arguing that the attorney general's office first needed to spend backlog money before getting more as well as spend less time attacking President Donald Trump and "finishing the job."
The department did not respond to requests for comments on the budget at the time of publication.
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