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Employee compensation committee recommends targeted raises; JFAC accepts report
Summary
The committee on change in employee compensation (CEC) recommended salary-schedule shifts and targeted increases for state troopers, IT/engineering and nursing; JFAC accepted the CEC report by unanimous consent.
The CEC committee presented recommended adjustments to state employee pay schedules and JFAC accepted the report by unanimous consent.
Senator Dan Foreman, CEC co‑chair, told JFAC the committee recommends shifting the primary compensation schedule up by an average of 3.2 percent (with the pay‑grade D minimum to remain at $7.25 per hour) and moving specialized schedules up by roughly 3.2 percent for public safety, 3 percent for IT and engineering and 3.5 percent for nursing and health care. The committee also recommended a statewide per‑FTE salary increase equal to $1.55 per hour with flexibility for agency heads and institution presidents to distribute those funds.
The committee made several targeted recommendations: fund a salary increase for Idaho State Police troopers at pay grade L of up to 8 percent to address low staffing levels; fund a 4.5 percent increase for employees on the IT and engineering schedule; and for nursing and health care positions, fund either $1.55 per hour per FTE or 3 percent, whichever is greater, with distribution flexibility for agencies.
Representative James Holsclaw, the committee’s House co‑chair, acknowledged staff work on the report. Senator Foreman stressed the committee’s concern about retention, noting the Idaho State Police trooper staffing in his region was "at 50% manning" and characterized pay as a primary driver of departures.
Formal action: A request for unanimous consent to accept the CEC report was made; a second was recorded and no objections were raised. The motion carried by unanimous consent.
Funding and implementation details identified by the committee include increasing appropriation levels to roughly $13,960 per FTP (from $13,000 referenced in the CEC presentation) and no recommended change to the employee benefit package design. The committee did not vote on insurance appropriations for school districts and asked that be handled within that budget.
Next steps: JFAC said it will consider the CEC recommendations during its upcoming budget deliberations; committee members noted there will be fuller discussion on compensation during the JFAC hearings and members new to the committee were invited to seek briefings from veteran members and staff.
