Starting pay for public defenders would increase under a Republican bill.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Starting pay for Wisconsin public defenders and assistant district attorneys would increase to $36 an hour, or about $75,000 a year, under a Republican-authored plan the Legislature’s budget-writing committee. The raises, passed unanimously Tuesday, surpass what Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed in his $104 billion two-year budget. Low pay and high workloads for state attorneys have contributed to high turnover rates and case backlogs that could take years to resolve. Currently, starting pay for assistant district attorneys and public defenders is $27.24 an hour, or about $57,000 a year. When the Legislature completes the budget later this year, Evers will be able to revise it with partial vetoes.