Despite a growing budget deficit, the Kansas court system will ask lawmakers for an extra $20 million to boost pay for court employees across the state.
A study released by the state Supreme Court paints a dismal picture: Pay for district court judges ranks 50th in the country, and some court employees have starting salary below the federal poverty level for a family of four.
In addition, according to the high court study, a third of judicial branch employees work more than one job, hardly a recipe for retaining experienced workers.
But with Kansas facing a $350 million deficit, there may be little appetite among legislators to find millions more for the courts.
Chief Justice Lawton Nuss wants to raise the pay of court employees, depending on their job, somewhere between five and 22 percent.
