The Mississippi House of Representatives has sent a message to the Senate: Give state workers a pay raise.
At least that's the view of Rep. Willie Perkins, D-Greenwood. "We sent a statement in a bill for an across-the-board pay raise for state employees.
"We sent it to the Senate so they can beef up the amount we put in there," he told a group of supporters Wednesday night at a rally for his friend, Sen. David Jordan's bid for city council.
The House voted 116-0 to give $2,000 to most state employees. The first half of that raise, $1,000, would begin July 1. The other half would follow in July 2007.
The pay raise is expected to affect about 27,000 of 31,000 employees who have worked at least a year for state agencies, universities and community colleges.
Teachers aren't included in this bill because they have recently received pay raises. Elected officials and legislators aren't included in the measure.
About 9,000 state workers received salary increases last year, but most haven't seen significant pay raises since 2003, according to legislative study documents about the bill.
The measure now goes to the Senate. That body could act on the House's proposal or could propose one independently.
Jordan, D-Greenwood, had pre-filed a pay raise bill in the Senate more than a month ago.
That measure would provide raises for state employees in a plan similar to that used recently for teachers.The bill calls for a 3 percent across-the-board raise in fiscal 2007, which begins in July 2006, and 4 percent each year for 2008 and 2009.
A study of Jordan's proposed pay increase would cost a total of $73,551,072 over the three years.
That amount includes $19,347,399 for fiscal 2007, $26,570,428 for fiscal 2008 and $27,633,245 for fiscal 2009.
A pay raise for state employees wasn't included in the budget recommended by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
The committee's recommendation totals $13.2 billion, including $4 billion from state revenue and $9.2 billion from federal sources, fees and other money.
At the time, Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, who presides over the Senate and is chairwoman of the budget committee, said while the budget doesn't address state employee salaries, she and other lawmakers have the issue on their minds.
- House: The House on Wednesday also approved bills to fully fund seven mental health crisis centers and to pay for another training class for new Highway Patrol troopers. The closest of the seven mental health crisis centers to Greenwood is in Grenada.
Those bills now go to the Senate.
The bills are House Bill 209, and House Bills 210 and 211.
- Senate: On Wednesday, the Senate approved a bill to strengthen the state's seat belt law. If the measure passes, a law enforcement officer could pull over a vehicle because a passenger is not strapped in.
Currently, a motorist can't be pulled over just for not wearing a seat belt. There has to be another violation, such as speeding.
The bill is Senate Bill 2086.
