DES MOINES, IOWA -- Lawmakers are now 11 weeks into the legislative session in Des Moines.

KTVO spoke with State Representative Curt Hanson (D-Fairfield). He discussed the funding status for state public defenders...an account which ran out of money last month.

Currently the state of Iowa owes public defenders $1.5 million in fees.

"We all have unexpected expenses in our budgets and we have an emergency fund that can take care of those things. But for some reason...party politics...this thing has been hung up in conference committee between the House and the Senate. And those poor people that are rendered service...the lawyers, their staffs, their clerks and the guys they buy groceries from and everybody else...is left without payment now. And so you have people that have finished their work and now are demanding payment, that are not getting paid...and that should not exist," Rep. Hanson said.    

On Wednesday, a Senate Committee approved spending an additional $16 million on public defenders this year, a move supported by Governor Terry Branstad but opposed by House Republican leaders unless Democrats agree to create a taxpayer relief fund.