Senate Finance committee votes to print bill increasing three commissioner salaries

The Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously to print routing slip RS 32564, a bill that would raise statutory salaries for three state commissions.

Keith Bybee, division manager of budget policy analysis, told the committee the measure would amend Idaho Code to increase statutory salaries by $3,224 for Public Utilities Commissioners (from $126,424 to $129,648), $3,224 for the State Tax Commissioner (from $117,396 to $120,620) and $3,224 for Industrial Commissioners (from $123,126 to $126,350).

Bybee said these three offices are handled outside the regular classified compensation adjustments (CEC) and therefore require separate statutory treatment. He described the committee’s role as a policy-making body in introducing the measure; funding for the increases would be considered later by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) if the Senate advances the bill.

Vice Chair Woodward moved to print routing slip 32564 and Senator Carlson seconded the motion. The committee agreed to print RS 32564 by unanimous consent.

The action taken at the meeting prints the bill for circulation; it does not appropriate funds. Bybee and committee members noted that if the bill advances to the Senate floor and passes, JFAC or a subsequent appropriations process would address funding. No amendments or further debate on the salary amounts occurred in the meeting.

Adjournment followed after the committee completed the printed action and moved on to other items on the agenda.

The transcript records the introduction and the unanimous consent to print; no roll-call vote tally was taken for this routing-slip print action.