Committee adds salary CEC appropriations for three commissions and approves federal funding restriction language for health bills

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved supplemental appropriations related to commissioners’ cost-of-living adjustments under Senate Bill 1148 and adopted federal funding-restriction language for health and welfare bills considered earlier in the session.

Budget analyst Kellen McGurkin told the committee that Senate Bill 1148 amended state statutes to provide a $55-per-hour increase in commissioners' salaries for the Public Utilities Commission, Industrial Commission and State Tax Commission in order to align commissioner CEC adjustments with state employee cost adjustments. The committee moved and approved separate appropriations to cover associated salary and benefits costs: $11,800 from dedicated funds for the Public Utilities Commission; $15,700 (split $13,000 general fund, $2,700 dedicated funds) for the State Tax Commission; and $11,800 from dedicated funds for the Industrial Commission. Committee roll-call votes yielded affirmative majorities and each motion was announced as carrying a due-pass recommendation.

Separately, committee staff said they had omitted a customary section of federal-funding restriction language from earlier Health and Welfare bills covering the Division of Public Health and Child, Youth and Family Services. The committee adopted the missing language by unanimous consent, and the chair said the language would be included in the earlier bills and those bills would proceed.

The chair closed committee business and reminded members of follow-up work groups and an early start the next morning for additional votes.