LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Gov. Mike Beebe says he's released $50,000 from his emergency fund to avoid the furloughs of 120 trial court assistants.
Beebe told reporters Wednesday he had released the money to help keep paying the assistants through the end of February. This is the third time that Beebe has released money to help the fund that pays for the court assistants.
The fund that pays the assistants' salaries is financed by court costs, fees imposed to file lawsuits, fees on drug violations and fees for a variety of traffic violations such as drunken driving. Fee collections and court costs have dropped from about $3.1 million a month two years ago to about $2.5 million this year.
Court officials had warned the assistants could have to take unpaid furloughs without additional funds.
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