Prosecutors’ Salaries Could Be Added To Salary Commission’s Duties

A bill is expected to be filed that would include prosecuting attorneys among other elected officials whose salaries are being reviewed by the Independent Citizens Commission created by voters in November.

Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale, one of the primary sponsors of Amendment 94, said Thursday that he was approached by prosecutors about being included. The commission is considering salary adjustments for constitutional officers, legislators, and judges.

Woods said leaving prosecutors out of that group of officials was an oversight. However, the amendment includes language allowing the commission to be altered by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.

The commission is required to present a review of elected officials’ salaries by Feb. 2, which would be followed by a public comment period and then the commission’s final decision on its first salary adjustment. Woods said his bill would create a different timeline for prosecutors.

Woods said talks are occurring on another bill to clarify how long the public comment period would last. Public comment periods often are 30 days, he said, but the amendment does not specifically say that.

Woods said he is working on a third bill that would describe the Arkansas Ethics Commission’s oversight duties over provisions of Amendment 94 that regulate lobbyists’ meals and gifts to legislators, ban corporate and union campaign contributions, and require legislators to wait two years after they leave office to register as lobbyists. The amendment requires the Legislature to pass laws regarding the commission’s jurisdiction.

Woods said the added responsibilities mean staff and salaries at the Arkansas Ethics Commission should be increased – by a fourth bill if necessary, or by other means.