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Debate grows over judges’ pay as senators question timing amid budget squeeze; indefinite‑postpone motion fails on first vote
Summary
Senator Machaela Boson carried LB 513, a proposal to raise judges’ pay (the committee trimmed the request to a 1.5% increase). Proponents said the modest increase preserves a competitive pool for judicial vacancies; opponents including Senator Carol Conrad and others argued the state is in a structural budget deficit and the timing was wrong,
The Legislature debated LB 513, a bill to raise judicial salaries, and a motion to indefinitely postpone the bill drew sustained debate and failed on an initial voice/roll call. The bill and a committee amendment calling for a 1.5% salary increase drew both support and opposition on floor policy and fiscal grounds.
What the bill would do: Chair of the Judiciary Committee Senator Machaela Boson introduced LB 513 as the regular biennial judges’ compensation bill. The committee trimmed an initial request to a 1.5% increase in wages and accounted for higher state employee health‑insurance costs in the committee amendment. Boson said the salaries for Nebraska’s Supreme Court and appellate judges form the base for county and district judges under current statute and that the 1.5% figure was a negotiated reduction from a higher original request.
Arguments for: Proponents including the sponsor said the modest increase helps retain and recruit qualified candidates and noted private practice pay can exceed public service pay; advocates described the importance of preserving a pipeline of experienced lawyers willing to accept judicial appointments. Supporters also argued high expectations and court workloads make competitive compensation reasonable.
Arguments against: Opponents argued the timing is wrong amid a structural state budget deficit, noting other categories of workers and services had been denied increases or saw cuts in this session. Several senators said Nebraska judges are already in the upper half of peer compensation among states, cited a Nebraska State Bar Association economic survey and said judicial candidates remain plentiful; they called for delaying pay changes until the state’s fiscal outlook improves.
Vote on procedural motion: The sponsor’s motion to indefinitely postpone the bill was put to the Senate; the clerk recorded 1 aye and 29 nays on that motion in a preliminary roll call reported on the floor (the motion was not adopted). Floor debate continued after the procedural vote.
Why it matters: The debate linked judges’ salaries to broader questions about fiscal priorities, the state’s short‑term budget balancing choices and whether the Legislature should raise pay for highly compensated public officials while denying or delaying wage increases to other workers or programs.
Next steps: The bill remained on the floor for further consideration after the procedural vote; senators said they would continue the debate, and some members urged the matter be revisited only after larger budget certainty.
