The Michigan Legislature voted Wednesday to continue allowing local courts to assess costs on defendants who either are convicted or plead guilty.

Without the extension, that authorization is set to expire May 1. A bill now headed for the governor’s desk would extend that to the end of 2026.

Representative Kelly Breen (D-Novi) supported extending the sunset on that funding mechanism. But she said lawmakers need to come up with a permanent fix, so courts no longer rely on fines for funding.

“We need to ensure that there is no, even an appearance of impropriety that judges are making decisions simply to generate court revenue. We can’t have that. And it results in unequal access to justice,” Breen told reporters after Senate session Wednesday.

Breen sponsors a bill that would require the State Court Administrative Office to propose a new, uniform statewide court funding system to the state Legislature by May 2026.

Breen emphasized it would then be up to lawmakers to decide whether to accept those recommendations or have the office try again.

Republicans, however, were skeptical of the plan.

Representative Andrew Fink (R-Hillsdale) said he doesn’t like how the bill relies on the State Court Administrative Office rather than lawmakers to propose a solution.

“That’s an inherently legislative responsibility to appropriate funds. And so, as we think through the best way to do that is, I don’t like the idea of asking SCAO to think through it, develop it, and just hand us its recommendations, which I believe we’ll then be pressured to adopt,” Fink said.

Fink said he’d prefer the Legislature taking the lead on coming up with a new trial court funding plan.

The issue of trial court funding has been a pressing matter for years.

A 2017 state law passed under then-Republican Governor Rick Snyder created a Trial Court Funding Commission to review concerns and come up with recommendations for lawmakers to pass. The commission issued its final report in 2019.

“Those recommendations were handed to the Legislature in 2019 with the hopes that the Legislature, which is the policymaking branch of government would lead, would take them up, and would have this healthy conversation. Now, for a variety of reasons, that just didn’t happen,” State Court Administrator Tom Boyd said.

That report mentions state and federal court cases in which the issue of how having a court rely on fines it imposes to fund itself could constitute a conflict of interest. While the state’s policy was upheld in a 2019 decision, Michigan Supreme Court Justices noted flaws within the system.

Boyd said a possible fix would still allow courts to assess fines and rely on other sources of local funding aside from fees for criminal proceedings. But creating a new Trial Court Fund to handle revenue from those court costs, as required in Breen’s bill, would add an extra layer of protection to avoid the appearance of a court having a motive to charge high fees.

Originally, the two bills were tie-barred, meaning one couldn’t become law if another didn’t. But, in a move to ensure the sunset extension had enough Republican support in the Senate for the bill to take immediate effect, Senate lawmakers broke the tie-bar.

The changes meant the bills went back to the House of Representatives, for that chamber to concur with the Senate’s actions.

The concurrence vote on the sunset extension, which had been sponsored by Republican Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport), passed with wide bipartisan support. But Breen’s bill requiring a new proposal for funding the courts did not receive enough support to continue forward.

House Democrats will likely try again once two new Democratic members are seated next week.

In a surprising turn of events, Michigan Wolverines cornerback DJ Waller Jr. has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.

Waller’s move comes as a shock to many, as he appeared to be in line to compete for a starting role within the Wolverines’ secondary this fall.

A talented player from Ohio, Waller had shown promise throughout his first year at Michigan. With his athleticism, instincts and determination on the field, he had positioned himself well as a contender for significant playing time this upcoming season.

Waller appeared in 11 games as a true freshman and tallied 12 tackles and a pass breakup. The former three-star recruit is the 13th scholarship player on Michigan’s roster to enter the portal since Jan. 1, and the fourth defensive back.

For Michigan, Waller’s departure creates a void in the secondary and raises questions about the team’s depth at cornerback. With Waller seemingly poised to compete for a starting role, the Wolverines will look to other players such as Jyaire Hill and Ja’Den McBurrows to step up and fill the hole left by his absence.

Jim Harbaugh was thinking about this weekend’s NFL draft nearly a year ago, when he told a group of reporters last summer that Michigan had a chance to beat Georgia.

Not just on the football field (it never happened, with UGA unable to reach a third straight College Football Playoff), but when it come to the draft itself.

You see, not only were the Bulldogs the big dog in college football having won back-to-back national titles, but the program set the seven-round draft record in 2022 with 15 players taken.

Michigan hopes to top that number this year and set a new draft record. A total of 18 players were invited to the annual NFL Scouting Combine this spring (list below), making the feat a real possibility.

“Excited for their futures and what they’re going to do,” first-year Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, who took over for the departed Harbaugh, said this week. “We still got guys working. Saw Blake (Corum) this morning; I see Roman (Wilson) out here working. The guys aren’t satisfied with potentially being drafted.”

Draft weekend schedule:

■ Thursday — Round 1, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC/NFL Network)

■ Friday — Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC/NFL Network)

■ Saturday — Rounds 4-7, 12 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC/NFL Network)

Looking to head downtown to take in the draft live? Read MLive’s A-to-Z guide.

A complete list Michigan’s 22 draft-eligible players:

• QB J.J. McCarthy

• RB Blake Corum

• WR Cornelius Johnson

• WR Roman Wilson

• WR Zach Peterson

• TE AJ Barner

• OL Karsen Barnhart

• OL LaDarius Henderson

• OL Trente Jones

• OL Trevor Keegan

• OL Drake Nugent

• OL Zak Zinter

• DL Jaylen Harrell

• DL Kris Jenkins

• DL Braiden McGregor

• DL Cam Goode

• LB Michael Barrett

• LB Junior Colson

• DB Mike Sainristil

• DB Josh Wallace

• DB German Green

• K James Turner

HOW SOON WILL J.J. MCCARTHY GO?

That’s the No. 1 question facing the Michigan contingent, and one of the overriding storylines of Thursday’s first round. While Caleb Williams is the consensus top pick to the Chicago Bears, and Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are expected to follow in some order with the second and third picks, J.J. McCarthy has steadily risen up draft boards in recent months. He went from a fringe first-round prospect when he declared back in January to a top-15 pick quickly. And recent mock drafts all believe McCarthy remains a priority target for the Minnesota Vikings (No. 11) to trade up and take him inside the top 10, maybe even at No. 4.

At 6-foot-2 and 219 pounds, McCarthy possesses the skillset and athletic traits of a franchise quarterback. He can make every throw, fit the football into tight windows and win, evident by his 27-1 record as a starter at Michigan. But critics say he hasn’t shown enough to warrant a high pick, with the Wolverines electing to run the football nearly 60 percent of the time. His passing volume (2,991 yards, 22 TDs) was nowhere near the top in college football, making him an unknown when it comes to having to carry an offense.

More: There’s a consensus landing spot for J.J. McCarthy in this year’s NFL draft

JIM HARBAUGH’S IMPACT ON THE DRAFT

Before, Jim Harbaugh could call up an NFL team and vouch for a player who once played on his roster. Now he’s the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, who possess the No. 5 pick, and has an opportunity to help influence where his former players wind up going. There’s plenty of speculation out there that the Chargers could look to trade out of their pick to acquire additional draft capital, potentially paving the way for a team to slide up and take McCarthy, the former Michigan quarterback.

And then there’s the real possibility that Harbaugh’s Chargers wind up drafting a Michigan player in later rounds. With a staff comprised of several former Michigan assistants, no one in the NFL has more intimate knowledge of the Wolverines. The Chargers even went out and signed former Michigan fullback Ben Mason, a reminder that if Harbaugh likes you and thinks you can help him win, he’ll go out of his way to bring you aboard.

UNDER-THE-RADAR SURPRISES

While McCarthy is the only sure-fire first-round pick of the bunch, Michigan has several players being talked about as under-the-radar surprises. Junior Colson ranks as one of the best inside linebackers available in this draft, making him an early-Day 2 prospect, while defensive back Mike Sainristil reportedly won over NFL teams during the draft lead-up. Expect both players to hear their name called on Friday.

Day 2 could wind up being a busy one for the Michigan crew, with offensive lineman Zak Zinter, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, receiver Roman Wilson and running back Blake Corum all live to be drafted. Zinter saw his stock drop after the season-ending leg injury, Jenkins remains an intriguing case, and Wilson had a strong Senior Bowl and combine.

Corum’s large draft window (Rounds 3-5) is the product of his position, injury history and 5-foot-8, 205-pound frame. We expect him to hear his name called (perhaps by the Chargers?), but running backs remain an unfortunate afterthought in the draft process.

CAN ALL SIX O-LINEMEN GET DRAFTED?

In a rare feat, Michigan has six offensive linemen eligible for this year’s draft. Four every-down starters in guards Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan, tackle Karsen Barnhart and center Drake Nugent, and two others who rotated in as starters — LaDarius Henderson and Trente Jones.

Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to offensive line play in the NFL, and that should help boost the stock of Barnhart, Henderson and Jones. Four seem like a slam dunk. Five is a real possibility. Six seems like a stretch.

FINALLY, A PREDICTION …

Will Michigan break Georgia’s draft record?

Yes, but barely. I project many of the top names — J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, Junior Colson, Mike Sainrisitl, Kris Jenkins — and five offensive linemen, tight end AJ Barner, receiver Cornelius Johnson, edge rushers Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor, and linebacker Michael Barrett. In fact, I’m willing to go out on a limb and say Barrett — the program recordholder in games played (64) and wins (52) — is the final Michigan player taken in the seventh round, breaking the Georgia record.

Look for several others to sign undrafted free-agent deals as soon as the draft concludes Saturday evening, putting a bow on what should be an historic weekend for the city of Detroit and Michigan football program.