By AP
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwgs/local-kwgs-1003958.mp3
Oklahoma City, OK – Okla. house panel OKs bill to quash pay hikes
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A bipartisan proposal to scuttle pending pay hikes for Oklahoma judges, district attorneys and statewide elected officials easily cleared a House committee Wednesday.
In a rare show of bipartisanship, House Speaker Kris Steele of Shawnee and House Minority Leader Scott Inman of Del City jointly introduced a resolution disapproving of the proposed 6 percent pay raise for Oklahoma judges. It passed 11-0, with one member abstaining, and now heads to the full House.
The Board of Judicial Compensation in September recommended a 6 percent pay raise for judges in Oklahoma, and the salaries of statewide elected officials are tied to judicial salaries. The salaries of judges in Oklahoma range from about $105,000 for special judges to $147,000 for the state's chief justice.
A 6 percent raise in judicial salaries would have cost an estimated $2.5 million annually, according to Mike Evans, the administrative director of the courts.