The pay raise appropriations total more than $900 million
Raleigh, N.C. – The state House of Representatives gave final legislative approval on Wednesday to salary increases for law enforcement officers and the largest pay raise for North Carolina’s state employees in over a decade.
The pay raises for State Highway Patrol troopers, State Bureau of Investigation agents, Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) officials, correctional officers, and most state employees mirror salary increase levels previously proposed by both the General Assembly and Governor.
Those public employees will receive five bonus annual leave days under the proposals that also meet funding needs for the State Health Plan and retirement system.
North Carolina’s state government is operating on continuation spending at last year’s budget levels after Gov. Cooper vetoed the bipartisan appropriations plan approved by the state General Assembly this session.
“These are consensus pay increases that should reach the paychecks of North Carolina’s public servants a soon as possible,” said House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland).
“The people who protect us and operate our state government don’t have to wait to earn higher take-home pay for their families just because there are areas of the budget where we disagree.”
House Bill 226 appropriates more than $800 million to provide a five percent raise to state agency employees over the next two years. The bill also funds the retirement system and the state health plan.
House Bill 126 appropriates more than $10.5 million to increase pay for State Highway Patrol Officers by 5 percent over the next two years and also funds the annual year over year step increases for officers.
House Bill 777 appropriates more than $5 million to provide SBI and ALE officers at least a five percent raise over the biennium, raising their starting pay to a minimum of $45,000, and accelerating the timeframe for officers to get to top pay to six years. For officers tied to this new salary schedule, the average pay increase is 14 percent.
House Bill 609 appropriates more than $92 million over the biennium for raises and bonuses to correctional officers and permanent employees of adult correctional facilities with the Department of Public Safety (DPS).
In addition to pay raises provided in each bill, they also all include a one-time supplement of five annual leave days for those employees.