CalHR: judges' pay tied by statute to average state employee changes, not set by CalHR
Summary
CalHR told the committee that judicial salary adjustments are governed by state statute (Government Code reference provided) and calculated after state employee compensation changes; CalHR said it lacks authority to independently set judges' pay or benefits.
Anthony Crawford, deputy director of CalHR, told the subcommittee that increases for judges and justices are determined by statute and that CalHR performs the required calculation — looking at the average percentage salary change for state employees — and applies that number to judicial salaries when the calculation yields a positive amount. Crawford said CalHR does not set judicial salaries or benefits and that any statutory change would require legislative action.
Crawford confirmed that the statutory mechanism (cited in the hearing as Government Code section governing judicial increases) requires CalHR to calculate the percent change in state employee pay and, if positive, apply it to judges’ salaries. He also said that some compensation elements (for example, suspension of prefunding of OPEB) do not factor into the statutory calculation. CalHR offered to provide the committee with historical charts showing prior years’ adjustments, OPEB suspensions and other compensation details to help lawmakers evaluate options.
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