The state Senate late Tuesday backed a measure to set up a new pay system for top judges that could give them massive raises.
The Senate voted 49-3 for Senate Bill 479, which would tie the salaries of Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and superior court judges to that of federal judges.
The bill also includes unrelated provisions on electronic bingo games, a common practice in late-session bills in which lawmakers throw together several measures that have yet to pass the General Assembly.
Top judges say the salaries of members of the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and superior courts often can’t compete with what big Atlanta law firms pay, and that prevents some qualified candidates from applying for the jobs when they are open.
Earlier this session the House approved a bill to tie the pay of top state judges to that of their federal colleagues, giving them the possibility of a big salary boost.
Under the version approved by the Senate budget committee last week and drawn up by Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, 2025 pay for state Supreme Court justices could go from $186,000 to $243,000, Court of Appeals judges from $184,990 to $241,000, and superior court judges from about $142,000 in state pay to about $219,000.
The legislation aims to both raise the salaries of judges and fix the current system, which allows lawmakers to approve local supplements for superior court judges. Because of that, some superior court judges are paid more than $200,000 a year, some $150,000, depending on the supplements local lawmakers have gotten through the General Assembly.
Under next year’s state budget — which has been approved by the House and the Senate Appropriations Committee — judges would receive 4% raises starting July 1, whether the new, higher pay plan passes or not.
The raises in the new bill could cost the state more than $20 million a year initially and would closely tie the maximum pay for Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges to that of their federal counterparts. Superior court judges would make about 90% of that.
Tillery said the raise for superior court judges would be more than what 40,000 state employees earn in a year.
The bill now goes back to the House, which could vote on it Thursday, the final day of the legislative session.
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