BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — (5/20/19) Louisiana’s senators have agreed to a plan that could give the state’s judges annual pay hikes of 2.5% for the next five years.
Senators voted Monday 35-1 for the salary boosts, sending the measure to the House.
The raises under Republican Sen. Danny Martiny’s bill would start with the new budget year, July 1.
Additional 2.5% raises would happen each year through 2023 if the judiciary determines it has money in its budget to pay for them.
The pay hikes would cost $1.8 million in the first year and grow to $9.5 million by the fifth year.
Democratic Sen. John Milkovich opposed the proposal, questioning whether the state could afford 12.5% in increases over five years.
Louisiana’s judges received their last pay raise in 2017.
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Senate Bill 27: www.legis.la.gov
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