Democrats push for pay raise for state employees in Mississippi budget wrangling
Democrats say they’ll keep trying to give all Mississippi government employees at least a $1,000 pay raise in the coming year, even after several attempts were blocked Wednesday in the Republican-majority House.
Appropriations Committee Chairman Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville, said Democrats were playing “raw politics” by forcing several roll-call votes that required members to say yes or no to raises for various agencies.
Frierson said the state can’t afford the $39 million plan proposed by Rep. Johnny Stringer, D-Montrose.
Under the recommended budget for fiscal 2015, which begins July 1, teachers are in line to receive a raise, but employees of most agencies are not. Frierson said top budget writers talked about including a raise for most workers.
“We wanted to do it. And we ran out of money,” Frierson told the House.
Stringer said many state employees haven’t had a raise in seven years. He was Appropriations Committee chairman from early 2004 to early 2012, when Democrats held the House majority.
Rep. Alex Monsour, R-Vicksburg, pointed out that state workers’ pay remained flat most of the years Stringer was the lead budget writer. That elicited a long “Whoa….” from some House members, and Speaker Philip Gunn gaveled for them to be quiet.
Gulflive
2/19/14
Magnolia Tribune
