Arkansas House rejects judicial pay hikes
by January 14, 2011 7:21 am 58 views
The House of Representatives rejected a pay increase for Arkansas judges and prosecutors declaring that rough economic times didn’t warrant a raise for any state employees.
The budget bill, HB 1063, included salaries for the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government. Executive and legislative salaries remain flat, but judicial salaries were slated for a 1.86% increase.
House members objected to the pay hike for judges and prosecutors citing hardships in their home districts. Rep. Kathy Webb, D-Little Rock, chair of the Joint Budget Committee, asked for the bill to be re-referred to her committee for more discussion.
In the House Revenue and Tax Committee, where more than a dozen tax cutting bills will be considered, Chairman Rep. Davy Carter, R-Cabot, said he hoped to debate many of the measures soon, but asked members to hold off on voting on bills until later in the session.
Lawmakers will have a clearer projection of state finances by March and many budget officials hope that the next two months of tax collections may signal positive or negative economic trends that could influence tax cut votes.
On another note, one day after declaring that no cell phones or smart phones could be used by legislative members, the press or the public in the State Agencies Committee, Chairman Rep. Clark Hall, D-Marvell, backed off the strict interpretation of House policy.
Hall said that he had reconsidered the decision after hearing from several individuals and decided that he would only apply the ruling to committee members.
Talk Business, The City Wire and The Tolbert Report lobbied House Speaker Robert Moore to consider updating the policy, along with a request for using existing live-streaming equipment in committee rooms. House leaders indicated that the request will be debated in a committee chairmen meeting on Friday.