Judiciary Committee debates bill to tie register-of-wills pay to state salary schedule; consent calendar passes

The Judiciary Committee met Wednesday in a vote session and approved a consent calendar (voting list No. 19) with Senate Bill 471 removed for separate consideration. The chair directed a roll-call on the consent calendar and announced that it passed after the clerk recorded a series of 'I' (yes) votes and several excused or absent members.

Members then turned to Senate Bill 471, a measure that would change how the annual pay for registers of wills and certain clerks is set. A motion to report the bill favorably was made and seconded. Leader Moon said he would support the bill but warned it raised larger policy questions: "This is an interesting bill because it replaces us with I think the Board of Public Works as the deciding body on the registers of wills," he said, urging the committee to consider whether pay pegs…