Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, D-Boulder
Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs
A Colorado Senate committee Monday afternoon passed a bill that would boost the pay for Colorado’s executive elected officers, lawmakers and county officials.
Most raises would go into effect in 2019, when Colorado will have a new governor, lieutenant governor and treasurer as those office-holders are term limited. Colorado’s governor, Democrat John Hickenlooper, receives $90,000, the third lowest gubernatorial pay in the county.
The bill has the backing of Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, and House Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, D-Boulder, but they won’t benefit from any increases. They are term limited after 2016. Lawmakers currently receive $30,000; the pay in 2019 would increase to $38,227.
The last time lawmakers or state elected executive officers, such as secretary of state and attorney general, got a pay increase was in 1999.
The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, where the lone “no” vote came from Sen. Michael Merrifield, D-Colorado Springs. Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, cast the lone “no” vote in Senate Appropriations Monday.
The bill calls for the pay of executive elected officers and lawmakers to be tied a percentage of judicial pay. Judicial pay is evaluated every four years, and in lean years no raises are given.
Senate Bill 288 also includes pay increases for county officials, including clerk and recorder and sheriff, based on the size of a county and other factors.
