Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices Max Baer and Sallie Mundy appeared before the state General Assembly on Feb. 26 to request a 4.5 percent budget increase in the coming year, but the justices ended up fielding numerous questions about a controversial proposal to roll back medical malpractice venue rules.

The judiciary’s 2019-2020 budget proposal asks for $371.5 million from state coffers. The judiciary’s total budget for the year is expected to be $487.3 million, with $1.9 million coming from the federal dollars and $113.9 million from court fees. Last year, the judiciary requested $355.5 million from the state.