By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON – St. Lawrence County legislators are calling on the governor to sign a bill that would make the state responsible for costs associated with indigent defense.

The resolution was approved at a finance committee meeting Monday.

Once passed and fully implemented the law is expected to save St. Lawrence County millions of dollars annually.

The Public Defense Mandate Relief Act was approved in the Assembly and Senate but has been stalled by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for months.

The law would require the state to begin in 2017 partially financing the cost of defense attorneys assigned to those who can’t afford them. By 2023 the state would be required to pay the full cost.

According to U.S. Supreme Court rulings the state is responsible for those costs, but state lawmakers have continuously pushed the costs on to counties.

County legislators say the policy not only avoids the state’s obligation but is also a burdensome mandate that is further stressed by the state’s property tax cap.

“Requiring counties subject to a state-imposed tax cap to finance the state’s obligation to provide public defense services imposes a significant, uncontrollable financial burden on counties dependent on real property taxes to fund needed services,” the resolution says.

An effort to pass the Public Defense Mandate Relief Act was led by St. Lawrence County Attorney Stephen Button and was supported by state representatives from the area.