Governor Proposes 50% Cut in State Funding for Civil Legal Services

Governor Paterson is asking the Legislature to cut general budget funding for civil legal services contained in the state budget for 2008 - 2009 previously enacted into law in April by 50%.

The April New York State budget included an appropriation of $4.2 million for numerous not for profit legal assistance organizations that provide legal aid in civil matters to low income people who cannot afford an attorney. The state general fund support was added by the Legislature to the Governor's proposed budget as an initiative of the Assembly.

PULP provides information, consultation, and training services to local organizations that serve low income utility consumers, including legal services organizations.

The list of twenty-two of the organizations whose funding would be cut if the Legislature were to adopt one of the Governor's proposals is below.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE
STATE OPERATIONS AND AID TO LOCALITIES 2008-09

1 Legal Aid Society NYC .......................... 1,091,251
2 Legal Aid Society of Northeastern NY ..............216,826
3 Legal Services for the Elderly Disabled and
4 Disadvantaged .................................... 7,507
5 Legal Services of Central New York ............... 256,561
6 Legal Services of Hudson Valley .................. 184,447
7 Legal Services of New York City ................ 1,157,381
8 Medicare Rights Center ............................ 10,530
9 Monroe County Legal Assistance Center (LAWNY) ..... 37,930
10 Nassau Suffolk Law Services ...................... 198,883
11 Neighborhood Legal Services (Orleans, Gene-
12 see, Wyoming) ................................... 18,069
13 Neighborhood Legal Services (Erie) ............... 159,043
14 Neighborhood Legal Services (Niagara) ............. 30,328
15 New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) ........... 12,060
16 Public Utility Law Project ........................ 34,666
17 Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund ..... 15,084
18 Research Found. CUNY-Brookdale .................... 11,258
19 Southern Tier Legal Services (LAWNY) .............. 49,114
20 Urban Justice Center .............................. 18,766
21 Volunteer Legal Services of (NYC) ................. 43,701
22 Volunteer Legal Services of Monroe ................ 24,119
23 --------------
24 Program account subtotal ................... 4,241,911

The governor proposes to reduce the above appropriations by fifty percent, to $2.1 million.
In addition, funding for legal services organizations would be cut under other proposals of the Governor to cut other parts of the state budget.

New York state spending for legal assistance for the poor is significantly less than other states. Often funding under state appropriations for the period beginning with the state fiscal year on April 1 does not begin to flow until the fall. As a result, organizations that receive state funding often borrow from banks in reliance on their appropriations in order to continue their services while awaiting completion of the state contracting system. See NYS Continues to Disadvantage Not-for-Profit Grantees. As a result, cuts could have an even more severe impact on services provided under the grants.

In reaction to lower state government revenues due to the recession, the Governor proposed limits on real property taxes and called the Legislature back to Albany for a special session on August 19 to consider his proposed tax limits and cuts in the current budget.