Committee adopts amendment ensuring pay for Holly Grove division judge and advances district court salary bill

The Senate Judiciary Committee adopted an amendment to House Bill 16-62 that clarifies pay for a part-time judge in the Holly Grove division of the Monroe County District Court and advanced the broader district court personnel and salary bill as amended.

Representative Dalby, presenting the amendment, said it makes two changes: raising a figure from $24,000 to $36,000 and adding language to authorize the Holly Grove-division judge to receive salary compensation up to $12,000. Dalby said those changes were requested by Senator Dismain and framed the amendments as technical fixes to correct an omission in the bill the committee previously passed out.

Senator Flowers and other members asked whether the amendment would conflict with a pending judicial realignment that could merge Holly Grove into another division. Dalby said the amendment only ensures payment to the judge if the merger does not occur before adjournment and that any changes tied to a formal merger would be reflected in a future comprehensive bill.

After brief discussion the committee moved, seconded and adopted the amendment by voice vote and then took a voice vote to pass House Bill 16-62 as amended. The chair noted the bill was being returned so the committee could add the omitted amendment from the version sent over by the Bureau of Legislative Research.

The committee did not take roll-call tallies in the transcript; all voice votes were announced as "aye" for passage and the amendment was adopted by voice vote. Representative Dalby thanked the chair and committee members after the vote.