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Compensation panel recommends $1.55/hour base bump and targeted increases for troopers, IT and nursing; JFAC accepts report
Summary
The Change in Employee Compensation committee recommended a set of salary and schedule adjustments including a $1.55 per hour per FTE base increase (or 3% where larger), targeted raises for Idaho State Police troopers up to 8%, 4.5% for IT and engineering, and nursing increases; JFAC accepted the committee report by unanimous consent.
Senator Dan Foreman, cochair of the Change in Employee Compensation committee, presented recommendations to the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee seeking targeted raises and schedule shifts for state employees.
"We recommend shifting the primary compensation schedule upwards by an average of 3.2% as recommended by the Division of Human Resources," said Senator Dan Foreman, describing the CEC committee’s package. He said pay‑grade exceptions would remain where the division of human resources had already recommended them.
Key details in the committee’s recommendations included a proposed $1.55 per hour per full‑time position (FTP) salary increase for state employees, with agency heads and institution presidents given flexibility to allocate those funds. The committee recommended a narrower 3% increase for nursing and health care positions where that would exceed the $1.55 hourly increase, and a recommended 4.5% increase for IT and engineering salary schedules. For Idaho State Police troopers (pay grade L), the committee recommended funding up to an 8% increase to improve recruitment and retention.
Senator Ward Engelking raised concerns about distributional effects, noting, "anyone making over about $64,000 will not receive a 5% raise, and this caps nurses at a 3%. When we are hemorrhaging state employees ... we have over a 19% vacancy in turnover." Engelking said she was concerned some positions would remain far below market.
Representative James Holdsclaw praised staff work supporting the committee and framed the recommendations as balancing fiscal stewardship with employee retention.
JFAC accepted the CEC report by unanimous consent after a cochairs’ request. Cochair Harmon asked for unanimous consent to accept the report and the chair announced no objections.
Why it matters: The recommendations set parameters that JFAC and the full legislature will consider when funding employee compensation in the upcoming budget. Committee members emphasized targeted raises for hard‑to‑staff categories and gave agencies discretion on distribution.
What was not decided: Accepting the CEC report does not itself appropriate funds. JFAC members said they will have fuller deliberations on compensation during budget hearings ahead of final appropriation votes.
