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Adopt a resolution in support of the Solano County Law Library's request for funding in the Governor's 2020 budget and in successive state budgets
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
Supervisor Vasquez requests that Board adopt a resolution in support of the Solano County Law Library's request for funding in the Governor's 2020 budget and in successive state budgets.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
County law libraries provide an important public service for all California residents by making legal materials and trained staff available to all its citizens. Since 1891, the Solano County Law Library's primary mission has been to provide open access to legal materials to all members of our community, including solo practitioners and self-represented laypersons. Many county law library patrons are not law professionals, rather they are people trying to educate themselves on their rights and maneuver their way through a complex judicial system. Without the Solano County Law Library's resources, self-represented laypersons would be put at a further disadvantage by not having access to justice.
Funding for California county law libraries comes almost exclusively from civil court filing fees. The filing fee revenue for Solano County Law Library has decreased at 31.94 percent since FY 2008-2009 and California county law libraries at 31.07 percent, largely due to a decrease in filings. The decrease can be attributed to, in part, by litigants utilizing mediation tools such as Alternative Dispute Resolution and an increase in the number of fee waivers granted statewide.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing this agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the District 4 FY2019/20 Adopted Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to adopt this resolution, however, that is not recommended as this is an opportunity to ensure that the Solano County Law Libr...
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