Posted on: Friday, March 28, 2003

Committee postpones decision on executive pay

By Gordon Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

The House Finance Committee has postponed a decision on forming an executive salary commission that would determine the pay of the governor, lieutenant governor, department heads and other top state officials.

Finance Chairman Dwight Takamine, D-1st (N. Hilo, Hamakua, N. Kohala), said he intends to move the bill out, but wants his staff to study language

in the bill to make sure it is consistent with the ground rules for the judicial and legislative salary commissions. He also wants to consider whether the commissions need to meet more often than once every eight years.

Gov. Linda Lingle introduced Senate Bill 1332 after expressing frustration that many otherwise eager applicants for positions in her new administration were discouraged from either applying for or accepting jobs because of the salaries offered.

The salaries of department heads are determined by the Legislature through statute. The current $85,300 salary for department heads was established in 1990. Senate Bill 1332 SD2 HD1 would allow a salary commission to make recommendations that would take effect unless rejected by either the Legislature or the governor.

The Legislative Salary Commission this week recommended that lawmakers in the House and Senate get raises for the first time since 1993. The Judicial Salary Commission only makes recommendations.