(Idaho State) Budget-writers finally broke an impasse over pay raises for teachers, K-12 staff, college and university employees and all state workers.
The pay raise plan would put an additional 5% into K-12 salaries. All state employees, on and off the campuses, would stand to receive an additional $1.05 an hour — or more, depending on merit.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved the raises overwhelmingly, but grudgingly. The discussion again centered on a philosophical difference between House and Senate JFAC members.
For weeks, the House had held out for across-the-board raises. And the House essentially got what it requested last week. All state employees will receive at least a $1.05-an-hour raise — money that should help employees cope with inflation, said Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, JFAC’s House co-chair. Supervisors will be able to provide raises of up to $1.55 an hour, based on merit.
Senators pushed for more of a merit-based approach.
Sen. Kevin Cook again made the argument for merit pay — after saying he would change course and reluctantly vote for the House plan.
“We need to quit handing out fish and start handing out fishing poles,” said Cook, R-Idaho Falls.
Cook argued that the House plan would dole out raises to all employees “whether they show up to the job or not.” That might not actually be the case; the JFAC-approved plan would award raises only to a worker who “meets or exceeds expectations.”
While Senate Republicans voted for the House’s pay raise plan, the Senate’s two Democratic senators cast the lone dissenting votes Thursday. Sens. Melissa Wintrow and Janie Ward-Engelking, both of Boise, said the plan would make it more difficult for the state to compete in the job market.
Here’s a closer look at the plan, by the numbers:
- All told, the pay raises would cost $177.4 million.
- The K-12 raises would cost $84.7 million.
- The college and university raises would cost $19.5 million.
- Community college employees would also receive 5% for raises, costing about $2.3 million.
JFAC’s pay raise breakthrough ends a budget-writing debate that first went public in mid-January. And it appears to address one big stumbling block that has delayed the budget process — although JFAC still has to agree on a revenue forecast that will provide the underpinning for all budgets.
After JFAC approved raises Thursday, House vice chairman Steve Miller urged colleagues to work through the off-season to dive into pay issues.
“We’ve got 11 months to figure out … how we want to move forward,” said Miller, R-Fairfield. “I think we need to do a better job of planning.”
