State police seek repeal of pay-step reduction on promotion to ease recruitment (SB 74)
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Summary
The Maryland State Police asked the committee to repeal a statutory provision that can reduce a promoted sworn employee's accumulated pay steps, arguing it discourages promotions and undermines recruitment of lateral hires; the union offered support in testimony.
Catherine Kelly, director of the Maryland State Police Government Affairs Unit, and Frank Lioy, deputy director, asked the committee to support Senate Bill 74, which would repeal a provision in the Public Safety Article that can reduce the salary steps of a newly promoted sworn employee if that promotion causes them to earn more than another person of the same rank with equal or greater service.
Lioy explained that lateral hires now receive credit for prior service and can start at higher pay steps; under the existing language, those credited steps could be reduced upon promotion, creating a disincentive. He said repeal would restore fair compensation and support retention and leadership development. A union representative (First Sergeant Lewis) also voiced support, citing recruitment challenges and the need to recognize prior experience.
Committee members probed whether the bill would be retroactive and whether anyone had been harmed by the statute; MSP officials said they were not aware of any sworn personnel who had already been negatively affected but agreed the statutory paragraph should be repealed.