Instead, we understand that this proposal would lead to improved data collection and analysis that would, in turn, identify issueseither within certain classifications or more broadlyand inform future proposals submitted to the Legislature by the administration. As the employee's old salary is within this new lower salary group range, the agency could opt to leave the employee's salary intact. The pay raise becomes effective March 1, and state employees can expect to see higher wages on their next paycheck. Parson signed an 8.7 percent pay raise for state workers into law Monday. Provide Legislative Oversight of Process. Kentuckys Only Statewide Business Magazine, 2022-2024 Kentucky budget has passed the General Assembly, State provides $1M-plus in funds to Campbell County nonprofits, Bill to address gaming machines across Kentucky moves forward, Michael F. Beckwith promoted to Chief Banking Officer at German American, General and Road Fund increase in March 2022, NKY Chamber announces VP of Talent Strategies, Womens Initiative Assistant and Events Specialist, Valvoline completes $2.65B sale of products division to Aramco, UK HealthCare neurologist working to improve access to MS treatments, UofL receives $10 million to add more world-class researchers. Got something to say? Invalid password or account does not exist. In accordance with Directive 20-08, agencies under the Governor's authority did not implement the 3% general wage increase scheduled for July 1, 2020, for non-represented state employees in Exempt Management The operating budget, Senate Bill 250, includes pay increases for state employees, including 2% to 9% increases for all merit employees and increases for [] It includes the $2,000 final installment . It would take a pay increase of about $13,500/year or 45.8% to bring the buying power of the median state employee salary back to its 1987 level. Budget Highlights for State Employees. Similarly, although 26percent of the state workforce was identified as Hispanic or Latino in 2021, 49percent of correctional officers were Hispanic or Latino at thattime. Protecting Children, Seniors and FamiliesTo further carry out his commitment to addressing domestic violence and child abuse, the Governor said the state budget will increase funding to domestic violence centers, rape crisis centers and child advocacy centers. That means most state employees will see a 3.5% pay raise, for a 6% raise over 2 years. There are more than 7,000 positions open across state government, Haug said. Do you think the city commission should pass an ordinance in support of the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, which would protect Black residents from hair discrimination. Active and retired state employees are in good position as we count down to day 30. "We're here to help our communities, but we have to be able to support our own families, as well.". The Insurance Department, which has 25 fraud investigators, will run its $245,000 of pay-raise money through Schedule C, spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman confirmed. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. That's just huge.". Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Julie Smith/News Tribune Support the free press, so we can support Austin. This one-time funding will use ARPA funds to continue the temporary increase through June 30, 2024. Most teachers got a modest pay raise. State employees are the "true example of public servants," Missouri Gov. He also noted that they borrowed more than ever before and created new programs and policies without the funds to pay for them. We cant let our schools crumble, saidGov. Throughthe collective bargaining process, the state and its employees agree to terms and conditions of employment, including salary increases that increase the salary ranges of state jobclassifications. Global Race to Boost Electric Vehicle Range in Cold Weather, Reports: 3 Children Dead, 2 Wounded in Attack at Texas Home, Paid Express Lanes Grow More Popular in Once-Reluctant South. Funds are going to support the Military Family Assistance Trust Fund. From the perspective of legislative oversight, this has an added benefit of giving the Legislature multiple opportunities to evaluate the progress the administration is making towards its goals. Combined with at least 50% of required matching federal investments, a minimum of $600 million will support broadband expansion in Kentucky, creating more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. You have permission to edit this article. As this plan is developed, we anticipate that the administration would submit more budget requests to theLegislature. The pay raises come as Missouri struggles to keep workers from bolting for better-paying and potentially less stressful jobs. The bill was approved in the House by a vote of 151-2 after its handler removed the raise for elected officials, such as the governor and members of the General Assembly. This increase applies to all state employees who were not a part of the other University employees will receive a 2.5% salary increase in each of the next two years (fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23), Menghini said, along with a one-time $1,000 bonus in the first year and an additional one-time $500 bonus for any employee making less than $75,000 per year. Choose wisely! The final budget does increase funding for post-secondary education institutions by $80 million each year. In addition to the pay raise, HB 14 includes $20 million for school safety upgrades, $275 million for the State Emergency Management Agency, $24 million for the State Retirement Contributions Fund and more than $600,000 for the Department of Agriculture's black vulture mitigation efforts. The proposal includes components, discussed below, intended to improve the states hiring process and trainings. The recommendations that the taskforce made to the Governor are not public; however, the administration indicates that the proposal discussed in this analysis is based on anumber of those recommendations. Last year, lawmakers approved an emergency supplemental bill with a 5.5 percent raise and $15 minimum wage for state employees. The bonuses are part of the state budget passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. The funding mix is 50% state dollars, 38% federal funding, and 12% from tuition and other sources. Last Wednesday, state employees rallied at the Capitol for pay raises and pension increases, which they haven't seen since 2015. Kay Ivey approved of the step changes prior to the board's decision. The report explains that this pay gap exists primarily because women tend to work in classifications that are lower paid than the classifications that men dominate. Julie Smith/News Tribune photo: Gov. We're trying to get them through a system, and we're trying to make sure their lives are a little better," Parson told a sea of state workers watching the bill signing from open walkways of the Harry S Truman State Office Building. We can help. Because the proposal is to fund the initial stages of what ultimately would be a more developed initiative, we anticipate that the administration will submit additional proposals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the state workforce over the next several years. Each agency shall pay the increase in compensation from funds held in the state Treasury and from local funds in the same proportion as the employees regular compensation unless their salary is paid from those federal funds deemed unavailable in Subsection (b). Thetaskforce consisted of representatives from within the executive branch of state government. The most recent pay raises for state employees include the following: COMPENSATION INCREASE COMPARISONS (State employees and teachers, 1998-2019) Legislative Update. The Senate has proposed a 2% raise for state employees in its $10.6 billion spending plan. Rep. Dave Griffith, R-Jefferson City, said it was impressive to see state employees show up to the bill signing. According to a communication from DOHR, "employees eligible for the performance-based increase, who received a rating of Meets Expectations, Exceeds Expectations, or . That report will inform the legislatures decision on raises in fiscal year 2024. This section applies to the non-instructional staff at the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; it does not apply to the instructional staff whose salaries are statutorily tied to the salary schedule at the Austin Independent School District. Take Action! Create a password that only you will remember. Caring for Kentuckys VeteransThe enacted budget makes significant investments in Kentuckys brave military community. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, for example, had 240 vacant positions and a turnover rate of 24 percent as last week. We recommend that the Legislature approve the proposal and encourage the Legislature to exercise ongoing legislative oversight of the process to ensure that the administrations policies meet legislative objectives and priorities. According to a recent state auditor's report, last year state employees saw the highest turnover since 2008, with 22.7% leaving due to poor pay and benefits. In the last session, through a bipartisan agreement, Kentuckys Broadband Deployment Fund was launched, which included $300 million in state funds to address the connectivity needs of unserved and underserved communities. Dont use an article about the Frankfort City Commission, for example, to rant about national politics. "It's just a good day to highlight who we are in state government," he said. (3) funding necessary to implement the recommendations for changes to State Classification Plan as provided by the State Auditors Biennial Report on the States Position Classification Plan for the 2024-2025 Biennium. Mike Parson visited to sign HB 14, the bill providing for state employee pay raise. If youve had a bad experience with a private business or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or the government agency that regulates that business. State employees pay the same taxes or more than the people residing in CT that chose to work in the private sector. The pay raise becomes effective March 1, and state employees can expect to see higher wages on their next paycheck. "This is very cool: very cool for state employees, very cool for the district I represent," Bernskoetter said. Funds appropriated in this section and the appropriations made elsewhere in this Act that are intended to be used for the salary increase described by Subsection (a) and which can be found in an individual strategy item contained in the bill pattern for each agency shall be allocated to each agency, and to the appropriate employee benefit appropriation items, in accordance with these rules and regulations and may be used for the purpose of providing a salary increase and paying associated benefit costs. While we understand the proposal is informed by the findings of the California Leads as an Employer taskforce, because the full taskforce report is not publicly available, assessing how the administration decided to pursue certain policy recommendations from the report over others is difficult. The bill also includes a $2 per hour increase to the state's shift differential -- an extra bump in pay for those working outside normal business hours -- for congregate care staff within the Department of Social Services, Department of Corrections, Department of Mental Health and Missouri Veterans Commission. Rep. Rudy Veit, R-Wardsville, said he was excited Monday because about 14,000 Cole County residents are getting a pay raise. To thunderous applause and cheers of hundreds of state employees, Missouri Gov. 220 Our outstanding staff of marketing consultants stands ready to help businesses with effective advertising solutions. Bucy, state representative for House District 136, filed H.B. Supporting Higher EducationThe Governors proposed budget provided the highest funding increase for higher education in decades. The Louisville Zoo will receive funding to construct new habitat trails. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Mike Parson is flanked by legislators and department directors as he looks up to the hundreds of state employees gathered in the atrium of the Harry S Truman State Office Building as he prepares to sign HB 14, the bill delivering pay raises for those very employees. The pay bump for state employees is the first since fiscal year 2015. In other words, this is the first in likely a series of requests from the administration to implement a broader, yet to be fully defined, initiative to improve the diversity, equity, and inclusivity of the state workforce. The one-time funds are meant to give Kentucky the flexibility to meet state match requirements for expected federal grants. State Jobs Organized Into Classifications That Establish Salary Ranges. 1:33. Print Headline: Governor signs state worker pay increase, Copyright 2023, News Tribune Publishing. (d) Provisions requiring salaries and benefits to be proportional to the source of funds shall apply to all sums allocated under this section and to the appropriations made elsewhere in this Act that are intended to be used for the salary increase described by Subsection (a) and which can be found in an individual strategy item contained in the bill pattern for each agency. The request attempts to improve or establish a variety of state programs with the overarching aim of making the state a better employer and making the state workforce more representative of the public that it serves. Teachers and state employees would generally get an extra 1% salary increase in the budget, on top of the 2.5% they were already scheduled to receive in the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1 . This aligns with Gov. Combined with the additional $17 million provided in the prior budget, this budget continues to restore some of the $250 million in budget cuts these institutions have suffered since the Great Recession. Bucy, an Austin Democrat, said during a news conference Wednesday that the growing turnover of state employees is becoming an "unsustainable crisis.". Several legislators and department directors joined Parson for the afternoon bill signing in the atrium of the Harry S. Truman State Office Building. Especiallyconsidering the sheer size of state government along with the more rigid and bureaucratic nature of the state civil service, taking a multipronged approach to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in the state workplace makes sense. Over the next biennium, $250 million will go to support theBetter Kentucky PlansCleaner Water Program and provide clean drinking water and new sewer systems to Kentuckians. SEANC has worked diligently to ensure state employee pay does not fall further and further behind market rate. Specifically,werecommend that the Legislature require the administration to report to the Legislature on or before January 10, 2023 (1)its progress in filling the positions requested for 202223; (2)its progress in developing a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy; (3)any changes it would recommend to existing legislative reporting requirements of CalHR regarding the demographic makeup of the state workforce in light of new data made available from the implementation of this proposal; (4)any challenges it experiences in the implementation of the initial stages of the initiative; and (5)what the administration sees as its next steps in its overarching plan to make the state a better employer. List of key Governors items not included in the final budget: The General Assembly also did not return all coal severance tax revenues to coal-producing counties, restore local library grants or provide additional support for counties impacted by Decembers deadly tornadoes. Thisproposal, in conjunction with four other proposals to augment CalHRs budget, constitute a significant increase in CalHRs resources and staffing levels in 202223. Hes expected to sign the raise into law. Gov. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. The salary increase provision language is as follows: Sec. All rights reserved. Austin, Texas 78716-1027 Bernskoetter said whether the raise was enough depends on the position in state government, but he's not interested in setting a standard that would force private businesses to compete with the state for employees. Spokesmen for Attorney General Ken . In ten of the last twelve years, state employees have had no salary increment at all. We welcome questions about, and criticism of, our news stories and commentary but not of the writers who work tirelessly to keep their community informed. State employees are the "true example of public servants," Gov. "Just a great day for state employees.". 2022 Cost-of-Living Adjustment Coming in May. (g) This section and the appropriations made elsewhere in this Act that are intended to be used for the salary increase described by Subsection (a) and which can be found in an individual strategy item contained in the bill pattern for each agency do not authorize an increase of classified salary rates or exempt salary rates above the rates listed in the applicable schedule in this Act. Statejobs are organized into about 4,500 classifications. Development of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan (Five Positions). Absolutely no attacks on other commenters, on guest columnists or on authors of letters to the editor. "Over the last seven years, I've seen dozens of qualified, experienced workers leave the state because of low pay and unmanageable workloads," said San Antonio employee Sabrina Bedford in a Texas State Employees Union press release. "For a lot of us, we're happy to see this pass," Griffith said. Copyright 2023, Central Missouri Newspapers Inc. Note: Most state employees' pay increase will not become effective until August 1, 2022. The Republican-led Senate sent a bill authorizing the pay hike to Republican Gov. These improved data would allow the state to better identify where there might be diversity issues with the states recruiting, hiring, and promoting processes. The fiscal 2023 spending plan, which takes effect July 1, is just shy of the record $30.3 billion fiscal 2022 mid-year budget covering state spending through June 30. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. This is known as the vertical salary relationship. 006, an amount estimated to be $0 out of Other Funds and accounts, and an amount estimated to be $0 out of federal funds to fund a salary increase as described in Subsection (a) for all employee positions of state agencies paid according to the Schedules A, B, and C Classification Salary Schedules, including employees of the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the employees of a Texas A&M University System service agency, as such a salary increase is reflected in the salary rates authorized elsewhere in this Act. Asked if the pay raise he signed was enough, Parson said, "We hope so. The bill provides funding for state employees to receive an 8.7 percent pay raise, effective in March of this year. ATLANTA Gov. Gov. The overarching goal of these proposals is to take initial steps towards making the state a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive place to work. Texas Public Employees Association The pay raises for state employees will use $183.3 million of the money appropriated in the bill for additional spending before the fiscal year ends June 30. Brian Kemp intends to boost the pay of state employees by $2,000 a year, he announced Thursday, and has several cash programs in store for his second term. The Republican-led Senate sent a bill authorizing the . In all, active TSERS will receive a 3.5 percent increase in pay. The minimum wage for private employers in Missouri in 2022 is $11.15, up from $10.21 last year. John Bucy, 88th Legislature, cost of living, Information is power. If you state facts that have not been previously reported by The State Journal, be sure to include the source of your information. Our print and online opinion pages are sacred marketplaces of ideas where diverse viewpoints are welcome without fear of retribution. Eachclassification defines the minimum qualifications needed for a candidate to be hired or promoted. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. This week the 4% COLA Bill, the Retiree Longevity Bonus Bill, and the General Fund Budget all passed out of committee. Every two years, the state legislature determines employee salary ranges. That's just huge.". The agency may also choose to reduce the salary to any rate within the new salary range, but the reduction is not required. Education (27%) and Health and Social Services (41%) account for nearly three-quarters . Kadiliman_1 3 mo. Keep comments focused on the article or commentary in question. State worker union wants 1% wage increase in 2013, 2% in 2014, The union representing the largest share of state workers is requesting a one-percent across-the-board pay raise in july 2013 and a two-percent pay raise in july 2014. Calm before the storm: Governor urges safety as storms cross Ky. FCS projects a slight increase in enrollment next year. Employees, whose annual base salary exceeds $75,000 will receive a $1,000 bonus. Summary. As part of House Bill 1, also known as the executive branch budget, state employees will receive an 8% across-the-board raise in the next fiscal year. Updated: Jul 9, 2021 / 09:44 PM EDT. California Leads as an Employer Taskforce. PO Box 161027 202 to raise the pay, which would increase the gross salary for Texas state employees by adding a raise of $10,000, including those . The bill also includes a $2 per hour increase to the state's shift differential -- an extra bump in pay for those working outside normal business hours -- for congregate care staff within the Department of Social Services, Department of Corrections, Department of Mental Health and Missouri Veterans Commission.