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Rendell states position on pay raises

3 min read

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Ed Rendell said Tuesday he favors increasing state judges’ pay “no matter what,” but would not approve a raise for state lawmakers unless they agreed to boost the state’s minimum wage. Rendell’s comments came amid speculation that lawmakers might revive a plan to increase salaries of judges, top executive-branch appointees and future legislators. The state constitution says legislative raises cannot take effect until the next legislature takes office.

Lawmakers considered the proposal in November – shortly after most were re-elected and less than two weeks before taking the oaths of office that would have qualified them to receive the raises right away – but the proposal was left in limbo amid stalemates involving mass transit and other issues. Rendell injected the minimum wage issue at a gathering of senior citizens.

“If they’re interested in revisiting the pay raise bill, they have to make it clear to me that they’d approve a minimum-wage increase,” Rendell told reporters after speaking before about 2,000 AARP members outside the Capitol.

Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is currently the same as the $5.15 per hour rate set by the federal government. Rendell said he favors increasing it to $7.15 “over a course of time.”

Mike Manzo, chief of staff to House Minority Leader H. William DeWeese, D-Greene, said the news was encouraging to House Democrats, who support legislation to raise the minimum wage to $7.15 per hour by 2007. He said a wage increase could help offset the administration’s plan to make nearly $500 million in cuts to the Medicaid program for poor and disabled residents.

“If we’re going to be faced with the grim prospect of cutting back benefits for the poorest Pennsylvanians, this is something you can do to put a few bucks back in their pocket,” he said.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have state minimum wages that exceed the federal minimum, ranging from $5.70 to $7.35 per hour, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

But House Majority Leader Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, said he wasn’t interested in making such a trade-off.

“If we consider a pay raise, it’ll be on the merits of a pay raise itself, and if we consider a minimum-wage bill, it’ll be on the merits of minimum wage,” Smith said. “I’m not linking them, and I think it’s wrong for the governor to do so.”

Legislators currently receive an annual salary of $69,700, plus annual cost-of-living increases, fully paid health insurance and a fully paid pension. They also receive as much as $7,800 a year for vehicle expenses, and those who live more than 50 miles from the capital get $129 per day in expenses.

On the subject of judicial pay, Rendell said state Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy has told him on a few occasions this year that judges are still interested in a raise, “and I would favor that no matter what.”

Judicial pay varies widely, with magisterial district judges receiving $64,669 annually and county judges receiving $130,591 a year. The Supreme Court’s chief justice receives the highest annual salary, $154,448, while other justices are each paid $150,369.

Cappy declined through his secretary to comment Tuesday.

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