SB62 would let the Legislature appropriate up to 25 percent of filing fees paid to the Alaska court system during the prior fiscal year to the civil legal services fund. That could be about $666,000.
Sen. Lesil McGuire, in her sponsor statement, said Alaska Legal Services Corp.'s funding has dropped and the organization is struggling to serve a growing number of applicants. The nonprofit receives federal, state and private funding. McGuire, R-Anchorage, said the state's contribution is about $350,000.
Legal Services' Nicole Nelson said her group provided representation to more than 2,500 families in the last year but had to turn many others away for lack of resources. She said 500 more families could be served under the bill.
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