Senate committee approves committee substitute for SB 589 to raise judicial pay, alter judges' retirement benefits

A West Virginia Senate committee voted to approve a committee substitute for Senate Bill 589 that raises salary schedules for members of the judiciary and makes several changes to the judges' retirement plan.

Counsel told the committee the substitute increases salaries for West Virginia Supreme Court justices, intermediate court of appeals judges, circuit court judges, family court judges and magistrates by $8,000. The substitute also allows a state employer contribution holiday for the judges' retirement plan through fiscal year 2030 or until the plan's funded rate drops below 150 percent. Counsel said the holiday would reduce annual contributions by roughly $1.2 million to $1.4 million while in effect; the total cost of the salary increase, including higher benefits, was described as a little over $3,000,000. With the holiday in place, counsel said the net annual cost increase would be about $1.6 million to $1.8 million.

The substitute makes multiple changes to the judge's…