(Source: MIRS.news, Published 12/19/2022) The State Officers Compensation Commission (SOCC) is scheduled to huddle sometime next year, and the new chair is inclined to "leave lawmakers out of it" and move onto increasing the salaries of state officers instead.
Former state senator and former Granholm budget director Bob Emerson reported that the last time the SOCC folks met, he made the motion to give legislators a 2% pay raise, but they never adopted the recommendation, which killed the increase.
Based on that, his early thinking is, without having talked to any of the other members, that he "doesn't see any change in attitude" among lawmakers that they would support a raise now.
However, he pointed to Attorney General Dana Nessel who reportedly has about 150 Department of Attorney General employees earning more than she does. He has reason to believe Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson also has several staffers who make more than she does. He is interested in putting on the table a raise for them.
"They deserve something," he said.
Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement noted on this week's edition of MIRS Monday that Supreme Court justices should be offered a pay that attracts and retains talent. At the moment, appellate court judges are making more than Supreme Court justices.
Supreme Court justices are set to receive a 5% increase in 2023 and 2024, which boosts their pay from $164,610 a year to eventually $181,482 a year ($204,482 with benefits). This would put them at par with the appellate judges.
Still, Clement said she hopes the SOCC looks at the data and make a recommendation based on what they find. Federal district court judges make $223,400. Federal circuit judges make $236,900 a year. Six states pay their justices less. The remaining 43 pay more. Ohio pays $181,400 a year in 2023.
When MIRS called, Emerson was getting ready to contact the staff person assigned to the Commission to find out how to proceed in the new year. The Commission will include himself and four other former lawmakers -- former Reps. Paula Zelenko, Nancy Quarles and Tom Cochran. The late Sen. Vincent Gregory sat on the body, as well, until he died this year.
The other members are attorney Lawrence Nolan and Amy Burton, the coalition director for the Healthy Kids Healthy Michigan nonprofit.
Emerson is serving as chair and his appointment was done in an off-handed way.
The last time SOCC met, he had to leave the meeting early after the 2% proposal was adopted. The then-chair, Dan DeGrow called Emerson afterward to inform him of his appointment.
Lesson learned: Never leave a meeting early.
