Senate committee hears bill for 4% pay increases for state employees; committee recommends do-not-pass

Senate Bill 23-45, a proposal to provide state employees a 4% pay increase in each year of the next biennium, was introduced during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Government Operations Division Committee. Senator Richard Marsley (District 9) said he was asked by the Teachers Association to introduce the measure.

The bill would provide "a pay raise for state employees of 4% per biennium," Marsley said. The committee’s fiscal analyst said the bill applies only to existing state employees and does not change school-district teacher pay.

The discussion focused on how the proposal compares with budget assumptions. Molly Harrington, chief people officer for the state of North Dakota, told the committee she was attending to hear the discussion; she noted broader wage trends and that she had no formal position on the bill. "So again, I don't have a position on this," Harrington said. Harrington and the committee discussed that performance-based pay adjustments would remain possible under an average-percentage approach.

Committee members repeatedly referenced the governor’s budget baseline, which had been prepared on a 3% and 3% framework. Several senators said they were reluctant to deviate from that assumption without leadership guidance. Senator Dwyer moved that the committee recommend do not pass; the motion was seconded by Senator Sickler. The committee conducted a roll call on the recommendation and the chair announced the committee would hold the record open for Senator Abele to register a vote.

Senators emphasized procedural caution rather than policy objections during the brief hearing. The committee closed public testimony after hearing from the bill’s introducer and from Harrington, and then proceeded to the committee motion and roll call.

The committee action is a committee-level recommendation, not the final disposition of the bill. The committee indicated it would coordinate further with leadership and keep the record open to allow an absent member to vote.