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Walker budget includes pay increase for judges, more money for pay progression

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//February 9, 2017//

Walker budget includes pay increase for judges, more money for pay progression

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//February 9, 2017//

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Gov. Scott Walker is proposing to continue supporting pay progression for public defenders and prosecutors, as well as paving the way for a similar system for judges and justices.

Walker on Wednesday released budget documents calling for the State Director of Courts to develop a pay plan for judges and justices. The system would be separate from the state’s regular compensation plan.

Walker is proposing providing $334,000 in general purpose revenue to kick off the plan in the 2018-19 fiscal year. That amount is meant to be proportional to the pay increase that are being provided to other state employees. The plan could be paid for in part using savings in the court system, according to Walker’s budget proposal.

Chief Justice Pat Roggensack has said that increasing judicial pay is a priority and has proposed raises of more than $20,000 a year for herself and other judges.

Walker is also proposing additional money to support pay progression for public defenders and prosecutors, according to budget documents. His proposal includes $66,400 for assistant and deputy public defenders in 2018-2019, and nearly $4 million over the biennium for deputy and assistant district attorneys.

Other proposals Walker made Wednesday include:

  • Providing $163,000 to pay for interpreters for the State Public Defender’s clients.
  • Allocating $6.8 million over two years for the SPD to pay private bar obligations.
  • Providing $2 million to state crime labs so they can make changes that help them meet a more rigorous DNA-testing standard required by the federal government.

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