The Georgia House on Wednesday overwhelmingly backed $12,000 raises for the state’s top judges and pay hikes for some other judges, district attorneys and for public defenders.
The big raises come at a time when lawmakers are offering state agencies 1 percent more to give raises to other employees. Georgia’s 100,000 teachers may, or may not, also get cost-of-living increases. That decision will be made by local school boards.
The House approved the pay raise 142-21. The measure, House Bill 279, now heads to the Senate.
Supporters of the judicial raise measure in the General Assembly, and judges, say the extra money is needed to make sure top lawyers seek out judgeships when there are openings. However, the state seldom has a shortage of lawyers applying to be judges.
Opponents questioned the size of the raises - 7 percent for Supreme and Appeals Court judges and 10-25 percent for some Superior Court Judges.
“This is significantly higher than what our teachers and state employees are getting,” said Rep. Rusty Kidd, I-Milledgeville.
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