LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A bill related to the future of the Louisville-Jefferson County Public Defender Corporation has made its way to Governor Andy Beshear's desk, but the attorneys who'll be impacted said they're left with questions for themselves, and the clients they represent.

House Bill 568, sponsored by Rep. Jason Nemes (R-District 33), would merge the Louisville-Jefferson County Public Defender Corporation with the state's Department of Public Advocacy (DPA).

Cat Vining and Morgan King are Louisville Metro Public Defenders.

The pair said staff attorney's haven't been part of any conversations or had questions answered around House Bill 568, meaning it's unclear how it could impact the thousands of clients Louisville's public defenders represent.

Part of that is because plans for future funding are not part of the bill.

Right now, Louisville's public defenders are funded by the state and Metro Government, but HB 568 would remove the city's funding. 

"No one seems to know anything about the financials," Vining said. "For us, that's very, very concerning. That's our pay. Those are our benefits."

Vining said around 44% of the office's funding comes from Metro Government, and there's concern if the DPA could adequately fund its office.

There is also confusion about the attorney's pensions.

"The pension plan, and how that would work being part of the state system, because as of right now, the local public defender's office operates outside of the state system when it comes to their pension benefit," King said.

"It seems nitty gritty, but it's incredibly integral for people's livelihoods and has a lot of people incredibly worried in our office again, not just staff attorneys, investigators, paralegals, social workers and staff attorneys," Vining said.

Another concern brought up is the transition period. House Bill 568 calls for the full merger to be complete by July 2024, something Vining and King said their office is concerned about, but so is the DPA.

"Damon Preston [Lead of DPA] was also for a longer transition," Vining said. "So it seems that no one, our office, at least the workers, and that Damon Preston, the DPA, also don't want this transition to take place over a series of 14 months. It seems that that everyone except the state legislators who are not as directly affected by this seems to believe that 14 months is enough time and we just strongly do not think it is."

In comparison, the attorneys pointed to Fayette County's merger with the DPA nearly 15 years ago, which took place over the course of five years.

Vining said Louisville has more than double the case load compared to Fayette County.

Louisville-Jefferson County Public Defender Corporation has about a quarter of Kentucky's public defender cases.

State Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong (D-District 19) proposed an amendment to extend the transition period, but it did not pass.

Chambers Armstrong also proposed an amendment that any employee at the Public Defender's Office could only be terminated for cause as the merger takes place, which did pass.

"Louisville had such a wonderful opportunity to have this public defender's office be a part of the community, and not saying that we're not going to be part of the community as part of the state agency, but it is different to be, managed from Frankfort than it would be for managed from Jefferson County," King said.

Beshear's office said he's still reviewing House Bill 568. If he were to veto it, lawmakers do have the numbers to override his veto.

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