Senate allocation bills could raise pay for some state employees

Senate lawmakers have passed several appropriations bills that would adjust funding to many state agencies and the pay of some state employees. Last year, the state personnel board began the process of reassessing the state’s compensation plan. And each appropriations bill included language that would comply with new job classifications and pay ranges. Republican Senator Briggs Hobson of Vicksburg chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“There’s a minimum, medium, maximum level. Every employee will be at least at the minimum level of the state, some that are above that are frozen at their pay level. They’re not going to come down. But they can certainly go up to 10%, but they are going to be capped at the maximum level within that agency. If they’re above that they will stay at that level,” says Senator Hobson.

Senator Hobson says those with salaries above the maximum could receive raises in the future depending on inflation.

Before the final votes on appropriations bills, Democratic Senator David Blount of Jackson says future plans to continue adjusting state budgets could be jeopardized by plans to remove the state income tax. He says the state has a healthier than average budget this year due to federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Senator Blount says “Don’t we know that this one-time money that we’ve received is not an excuse to eliminate recurring revenue year after year. That’s what the House plan would do. We don’t need it. We need to do what’s in this budget here today. Pass it, send it to the House, and look at these tax cut plans in a responsible long-range way.”

Several bills were passed that would allocate some of that federal funding and would help to alleviate strain on healthcare systems as well as the state’s infrastructure.