REDUCE STATE OFFICERS SALARIES IN BUDGET CRUNCH
House Joint Resolution HH
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Palmer
Committee: House Oversight and Operations
Complete to 9-26-02
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION HH AS INTRODUCED 9-24-02
Article IV, Section 12 of the state constitution concerns the process for setting salaries of state elected officials. As amended by Ballot Proposal 1, which was adopted by the voters at the August, 2002 primary election, the State Officers Compensation Commission (SOCC) makes salary and expense determinations, which are subject to legislative approval. The constitutional language allows the legislature to amend the salary and expense determinations of the State Officers Compensation Commission by the same proportion for all affected officeholders (the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, justices of the supreme court, and legislators), but the determinations may not be reduced below the levels currently in effect.
House Joint Resolution HH would amend this part of the constitution to specify that, if the balance of the countercyclical budget and economic stabilization fund (the "rainy day" fund) reaches below $250 million in any calendar year, the salary and expense allowances of the specified elected officials would be reduced by 10 percent for the subsequent calendar year.
The joint resolution would be submitted to the voters at the next general election.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.