FISCAL NOTE

Senate Bill 292 as passed the Senate establishes a uniform compensation plan for all circuit court judges, district court judges, appellate court judges, supreme court justices, and the chief justice of the supreme court by: 1) setting initial salaries for circuit court, district court, and appellate court judges and associate justices and the chief justice of the supreme court; and 2) providing for a 7.5% pay raise effective on October 1st following the completion of every six years of service as a judge or justice. These provisions will increase the obligations of the State General Fund by an estimated $5.3 million dollars for fiscal year 2022 and by an undetermined amount for each fiscal year thereafter, dependent upon the number of judges and justices that would receive a 7.5% pay raise for completion of six, twelve, or eighteen years of service.

Further, each district attorney in office on October 1, 2021, that is re-elected to a new term in 2023 will receive an estimated salary increase of $16,400 which would increase the obligations of the State General Fund, by an estimated $517,000 over the last three quarters of fiscal year 2023 and by an undetermined amount each fiscal year thereafter, dependent upon the salary of the highest paid circuit court judge in the state, the number of counties in the judicial circuit of the district attorney, and the number of newly elected or appointed district attorneys after October 1, 2021.

In addition, the provisions of this bill would prohibit circuit and district court judges from receiving salary supplements or expense allowances, or both, which would reduce obligations, by an undetermined amount, of those county general funds that currently pay salary supplements and expense allowances.

This bill further provides that any salaries of elected officials, state officers, or employees based on the salaries of a judge or justice shall be based on the salary of the judge or justice in effect on September 30, 2021, with the exception of district attorneys in office on October 1, 2021.