In his last day of bill signings, Gov. Chet Culver let stand a provision inserted in the catch-all standings bill to block a plan by the state court administrator to shuffle magistrates from some rural counties to urban areas.

The plan, based on case loads and other factors, would have shifted some magistrates from rural counties to urban areas due to an overall shortage related in part to the state’s budget situation.

Under the court’s plan, Appanoose, Carroll, Cherokee, Clarke, Crawford, Delaware, Floyd, Hardin, Iowa, Jones, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Sac, Tama, and Winneshiek counties could have lost a magistrate. In the 7th Judicial District, Clinton, Muscatine and Scott counties would have gained extra magistrates, along with Black Hawk, Clayton, Dubuque, Johnson, Linn, Polk and Pottawattamie counties.

Culver also let stand an increase in court fees that will allow the court to cancel the last two of seven furlough days for about 1,600 employees that had been scheduled to save money.

Court administrators say the $760,000 approved by Culver on Tuesday will allow them to cancel furlough days that had been scheduled for June 5 and June 19.

Iowa Supreme Court Justice Marsha Ternus ordered seven days of unpaid leave for about 1,600 employees to reduce costs.

The fees approved by lawmakers, which will take effect immediately, will increase the cost of a small claims filing from $50 to $85, marriage dissolution from $100 to $185 and raise the criminal penalty surcharge from 32 percent to 35 percent.