Haslam seeks funds for public defender, Civil Rights Museum

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam asked lawmakers Tuesday to increase funding for the Shelby County public defender’s office by the $1.7 million sought by Shelby officials and to give the National Civil Rights Museum $1 million for structural improvements.

The funding requests are included in his final big amendment to the state’s appropriations bill for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The amendment also includes nearly $45 million to increase the cash grants available to businesses the state is trying to recruit to Tennessee.

Haslam said the money would provide incentives for at least two companies state officials are negotiating with to expand or locate in the state, but he would not identify the com- panies nor where they are looking at specifically.

“We’re not there yet, but we wanted to put something in the budget,” he said.

The money for the public defender’s office is the state’s attempt to settle a 20-year funding error for the Shelby and Davidson County public defenders’ offices discovered last year. The two public defenders say they have been shorted a cumulative $45.2 million over the 20 years, $28.4 million for Shelby and $16.8 million for Davidson. Fixing the problem on an annual basis going forward would require about $3 million a year for Shelby PD but the Shelby County Commission passed a resolution in February asking for at least $1.7 million.

Haslam’s original fiscal year 2014 budget proposal in January included an increase for Shelby of $711,800, from the current year’s state subsidy of $3.2 million, and Tuesday’s budget amendment included an additional $1,010,400, for a total increase of $1.72 million.

The additional $1 million for the state-owned Civil Rights Museum in Memphis would help pay for foundation, plumbing and electrical system upgrades.

Other items in the budget amendment include $5 million from the state’s share of national tobacco settlement funds for health programs, $1 million expansion of the nursing building at UT Martin’s campus in Parsons, Tenn, $3 million for planning new buildings for the State Library and Archives and State Museum, and $1.3 million for infrastructure at the new Rocky Fork State Park in Unicoi County.