The budget for Kentucky's judicial branch has been finalized.

The two year spending plan passed both chambers yesterday evening, and Kentuckians will see an increase in filing fees to help offset a projected shortfall.

Our Mackenzie Spink has the details on House Bill 504.

The judicial branch is seeing an increase in funding over the next two years.

The current budget includes $466 million from the general fund, but that will increase to 498 million by fiscal year 20 2728.

However, before the veto period, Chief Justice Deborah Lambert posted on social media that she was, quote, deeply disappointed with the funding levels.

The progressive leaning Kentucky Center for Economic Policy says the reason the judicial branch will feel a pinch, despite the higher funding, is because of the rising cost of health insurance and 2% worker raises.

The governor agrees that the budget is not sufficient.

Among his concerns and also outlined in the veto message.

The judicial branch has publicly stated that it projects a general fund deficit of $12,600,000 in next fiscal year and 17 million the following fiscal year, and that this poses significant problems for the judicial branch.

Representative Jason Nemeth says that projected deficit is no longer accurate, because the legislature and the judicial branch found solutions included in House Bill 504 that will narrow that gap.

While the courts initially projected a shortfall of approximately $13.5 million per year.

Discussions with the Chief Justice and information exchanged with the Administrative Office of the Courts Budget Office have helped narrow that gap considerably.

Actions, including included in HB 504, addressed a significant portion of the shortfall.

Taken together, these actions reduce the potential shortfall to less than $500,000 annually.

Those actions include an increase in filing fees, which Nemeth says is projected to generate $5 million annually for the courts.

Democratic Representative Lindsay Burke says it's not fair to shift that financial burden on to the people.

The judiciary needed $5 million per year that we're asking your constituents to pay through increased filing fees.

It's already expensive for people to go to court.

They struggle to hire attorneys.

They struggle with filing fees, making access to justice even more out of reach for low to moderate income families is not in the interest of justice in Kentucky.

The House voted to override the governor's veto in a 76 to 16 vote, and the Senate did the same, voting 27 to 6.

The bill has been delivered to the Secretary of State for his signature.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Mackenzie Spink.