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Senate advances large state employee and higher-education pay package to House
Summary
The Senate moved SB228, a broad compensation package for state agencies and higher education, through readings after discussion of its large fiscal implications. Sponsors described pay increases and benefit funding for judges, corrections, the attorney general's office and other state employees; the bill passed the Senate and was referred to the House.
Senate Bill 228, a comprehensive compensation package for state agencies and higher education, cleared the Utah Senate floor on Feb. 22, 2007, and was referred to the House for further action.
Senator Hilliard, the sponsor on the floor, said the bill was approved in executive appropriations and described components including a 3.5 percent general cost‑of‑living adjustment for state employees, an additional 1 percent discretionary component tied to performance, coverage for anticipated health-insurance cost increases, and a 10 percent adjustment for judges (which he described as slightly below a pay-committee recommendation). He said the package also includes increases aimed at retaining attorneys in the attorney general’s office and adjustments for the highway patrol and Department of Corrections.
Senator Hilliard framed the proposal as part of a broader prioritization: base budget growth and public education first, then compensation and retention measures. The sponsor and other senators discussed funding mechanics and fiscal notes; the fiscal impact was characterized as substantial, with references to tens of millions of dollars and a specific annual required contribution figure cited in related discussion (for post-retirement liabilities) of $47,000,000 and an unfunded liability figure of $488,000,000 mentioned in related testimony.
Under suspension of the rules, the Senate read SB228 for second and third readings and approved it on a recorded vote. The clerk reported 26 yes votes and 0 nay with 3 absent; the bill was passed by the body and referred to the House for its consideration. Sponsors said the measure would address compression problems, cover health costs in their estimate, and include one-time and ongoing funding components.
Next steps: The bill will go to the House, where appropriations detail and exact fiscal allocations will be scrutinized and possibly revised. The sponsor indicated handouts and a fiscal explanation were provided to senators before the vote.
