The state Senate budget committee Thursday backed a measure to ask Georgia voters this fall whether they want to set up a new pay system for top judges that could give them massive raises.
The plan was amended onto House Resolution 1042, a measure designed to study judicial compensation.
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 backed 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 new version of HR 1042 drawn up by Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia — provided a majority of voters approve — 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.
While judges have received cost-of-living raises in recent years like other state employees, the last big push for substantially changing the pay structure came in 2015, when lawmakers gave top judges raises of up to $12,000.
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.
HR 1042 — which would cost the state more than $20 million a year initially if funded — would closely tie the maximum Supreme Court pay and Court of Appeals judges pay with that of federal judges. Superior court judges would make about 90% of that.
The constitutional amendment would also end supplements that counties pay to superior court judges, although TIllery said judges currently making more than the new state salaries could keep their pay.
Tillery said the raise for superior court judges would be more than what 40,000 state employees earn in a year.
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