The Senate completed action on a bill Thursday evening that will provide pay raises for state employees whose wages are outlined in state code. While supporters backed raises for state employees and public safety workers as a recruitment tool, opponents questioned why raises for judges were necessary. The merit raises are separate from cost of living increases sometimes approved by the Legislature. The merit raises are separate from cost of living increases sometimes approved by the Legislature. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Duceys office routinely issues news releases when he allocates cash from the pot of COVID-19 relief money he controls, but that wasnt done this time. But more than that, this is a necessary contract so that we can hold onto the best and brightest., This contract gives the state flexibility when hiring the most high-need jobs, recognizes the incredible institutional knowledge on our team, and the work state employees have done throughout the pandemic, said Lamont spokeswoman Lora Rae Anderson. 1/. $160 per employee a year to $186 per employee a year. 0. The cost of living in each state; She says Arizona normally offers 26 weeks of payments; about the same as other states. Some Republicans have said the hefty bonuses are only an election-year stunt from Lamont, a Democrat, to shore up his standing with his labor base. The agency pays its starting troopers about $57,000 a year, and the new 15% stipend gets them to $65,000, Hawkins said. WebDeputy Chief Investment Officer. That includes $544 million for border security, roughly half of it for a wall, and $1 billion for highway construction, including widening Interstate 10 north of Casa Grande. December 9, 2014 Leave a comment. 2021. Arizona Department of Administration. A separate bill giving locality pay was scrapped in favor of this bill. Nobody loves a budget once all the compromises are made, said Senate Majority Leader Rick Gray, R-Sun City. The plan includes a handful of small, targeted tax cuts for farm machines and private planes but no large scale reductions. The contracts allow workers to accept the $2,500 extra payment and still retire before July 1. A second teenage boy has been arrested in connection with a fatal drive-by shooting earlier this month in midtown Phoenix, authorities said Monday. The Legislature set aside $84 million for much-needed job-class-specific pay increases. With this budget, were putting those dollars to good use and investing in priorities that Republicans and Democrats alike can agree on.. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Updated: 6:21 AM MST June 23, 2022 State employees will get a raise, many for the first time in a decade. The improbable bipartisanship was enabled by an unprecedented surplus topping $5 billion, allowing for a broad array of new spending and savings. State employees will get a raise, many for the first time in a decade. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Sen. Martin Quezada, a Glendale Democrat, spoke out against plans to spend $335 million for a wall on the southern border, which he said would be useless in stopping people from crossing. Ducey is seeking a permanent 15% raise for state troopers, 20% for juvenile and adult corrections employees and pay boosts for several other agencies that total nearly $250 million a year. As of April 8, 2021, both bills have passed where they were introduced and are awaiting full-floor discussions in the other. He citied Boyers leadership, your stubbornness, your perseverance, for reaching the deal. C.J. She says it's the actual payment amounts that put Arizona at the bottom of her list. Those who have voted against it say they want to see a restructuring of DES before handing them more money. The six new judges will cost the state $4.5 million a year, but about half that in the upcoming year because terms begin in January 2023, according a budget summary from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Both are leaving the Legislature after this year. Arizona House Republicans back universal school voucher expansion, Arizona Legislature begins hearings on state budget plan as deadline looms, North Phoenix church rallying for earthquake survivors in Turkey, Syria, Arizona Jewish Historical Society offers Anne Frank House VR experience, Phoenix mortuary sued for mistakenly cremating womans body, Pair of Arizona senators stepping down from Democratic leadership positions, Silver Alert issued for 80-year-old man with medical condition last seen in Queen Creek, 2nd teenage suspect arrested in fatal Phoenix drive-by shooting, Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices, Top prospects to watch at this years Arizona Fall League, Stream 4K and more with powerful, high-speed fiber internet. It was not a great situation," said Lisa Rowan, a consumer finance reporter with Forbes Advisor. State employees will get a raise, many for the first time in a decade. Reachreporter Mary Jo Pitzl atmaryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.comand follow her on Twitter@maryjpitzl. Arizona's legislature approved a bipartisan $18 billion spending plan early Thursday that will make substantial investments in public schools, build new highways and pay down long-term debts. The budget also gives raises to judges throughout the court system, from Superior Court up to Supreme Court, costing about $3 million a year, according to budget documents. Gov. The Associated Press learned of the moneys use when an updated report on the governors use of virus relief funds was posted by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, which provides non-partisan analysis of state finances to lawmakers. The bipartisanship extended to opposition a handful of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats voted against the budget deal. May 4, 2022. State lawmakers worked overnight and passed a $15.6 billion budget in the early morning hours of June 23. Kay Ivey approved of the step changes prior to the boards decision. The result is a booming economy with record revenues, Ducey said in a statement. 2305. Ducey is seeking a permanent 15% raise for state troopers, 20% for juvenile and adult corrections employees and pay boosts for several other agencies that total nearly $250 million a year. 1228 Magnolia Curve, Montgomery AL, 36106. Ducey released a recovery-focused budget for Fiscal Year 2022, and he plans in making investments in K-12 education, public health, public safety, wildfire prevention, infrastructure and more, while also providing tax relief to residents. This is what our state, where voters are nearly evenly divided by party affiliation, has long asked of us to work together, said Rep. Reginald Bolding of Laveen, the top Democrat in the House. The Senate gave final approval Friday to a four-year package of raises for state employees that includes $3,500 in bonuses to help stem a surge in worker retirements. The plan also allocates $1.25 billion for state debt and pension obligations. Ned Lamont pitched an income tax cut in CT. Heres an overview of his proposal, Lamont, legislators heading for a battle over CT spending cap, State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Only a handful of dissenters from each party voted against the package of bills, and Republican Gov. All rights reserved. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. State lawmakers worked overnight and passed a $15.6 billion budget in the early morning hours of June 23. That includes $544 million for border security, roughly half of it for a wall, and $1 billion for highway construction, including widening Interstate 10 north of Casa Grande. That includes $544 million for border security, roughly half of it for a wall, and $1 billion for highway construction, including widening Interstate 10 north of Casa Grande. I believe this is the best Democratic, bloated-full-of-pork budget that our money could have ever paid for, Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction, said in the early hours Thursday as he voted against the budget. The budget also includes a provision that caps the revenue the state receives from sports betting at 10%, which Kingman Republican Rep. Regina Cobb said it was needed to keep the state competitive with states like Nevada. PHOENIX (AP) Arizonas legislature approved a bipartisan $18 billion spending plan early Thursday that will make substantial investments in public schools, build new highways and pay down long-term debts. $225,000.05. AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Republican fighting over promises, big spending stalls Arizona budget plan as deadline looms, House vote puts Arizona on cusp of largest school voucher program in US, Theadditional inflation effects you should know, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Senate completed action on a bill Thursday evening that will provide pay raises for state employees whose wages are outlined in state code. The Legislature set aside $84 million for much-needed job-class-specific pay increases. Karamargin, Duceys spokesman, said there is increasing competitiveness in all sorts of jobs. Gov. But for Democrats, this may have been the last chance for the foreseeable future to make an imprint on the state budget. 0. Sen. Cathy Osten defending the SEBAC deal. The merit raises are separate from cost of living increases sometimes approved by the Legislature. Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) The Senate gave final approval Friday to a four-year package of raises for state employees that includes $3,500 in bonuses to help stem a surge in worker retirements. Reporter Jerod MacDonald-Evoy joined the Arizona Mirror from the Arizona Republic, where he spent 4 years covering everything from dark money in politics to Catholic priest sexual abuse scandals. "Weve got some quite a few critical positions that are vital to public safety," Karamargin said. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror. Boyer, who started as a Senate staffer and has been a lawmaker for a decade, said this is the first bipartisan budget in at least 15 years. The budget puts another $425 million into the rainy day fund, an emergency savings account, adding to $1 billion already stashed away. Tax cuts are a staple of the annual budget. While annual retirements usually range from 2,000 to 2,500 per calendar year, more than 3,400 state employees have either retired or filed their written intentions to do so between January and March 31, 2022 alone. On Friday, she said its the boards hope that the step increases assistrecruitment and retention efforts. Arizona lawmakers approve bipartisan $18 billion budget, Students ill after coming into contact with weed killer at Arizona elementary school, Fishermen find remains of missing man inside shark, New Funding Bridges Gap Between Communities, Prison, nonprofit and restaurant raise funds for underage DUI, drug programs, Car theft victims family speaks out after woman pleads guilty to murder. State employees have stepped up and answered the call of Osten said the raises reflect the valuable work state employees provide daily, and particularly throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans last year cut $1.7 billion in income taxes. Agencies are not required to give the increases. The budget is not sound and its not reflective of my conservative values, Ugenti-Rita said. 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