Letcher County’s State Representative Mitch Whitaker has filed a bill that would adjust state payments to counties for incarceration costs.
Whitaker says House Bill 35 would have the state reimbursements for housing felony defendants start from the time they are booked until they are transferred out of the facility which he says ensures that counties are not covering jail costs without proper state support.
Whitaker says particularly in rural counties, jails are on tight budgets and have other challenges like overcrowding.
He says the Bill would help ease the burden on local governments.