Conference Committee recommends House pay raise plan

Monday, May 7, 2012

With no debate this morning, the House-Senate Conference Committee on the budget said it was going to put the House pay plan in the state budget for the business year that begins July 1.

Last month, the House passed a 2-percent pay raise for all state employees earning up to $70,000 a year — a proposal the state's Office of Administration said would cover almost 97 percent of the state government's workforce.

The Senate had budgeted a 2-percent raise for all employees making up to $45,000 a year, or about 82-percent of the state's workforce.

The conference committee members must okay all the bills making up the state's budget, then the compromises must be approved by both House and Senate by 6 p.m. Friday.