Calif. Senate staff receive raises despite budget crisis
By Torey Van Oot, Sacramento Bee
California’s chronic budget problems haven’t stopped the state Senate from giving some of its own staff members a bump in pay, handing out raises averaging 7 percent to dozens of workers in recent months.
The Senate increased the pay of at least 169 employees – nearly one-fifth of the staff – during a three-month period ending October 31.
The raises affected staff members serving in many levels of Senate operations, including Capitol security technicians, printing specialists and district workers.
The changes also boosted the paychecks of some of the Capitol’s highest-paid aides. Nine chiefs of staff, including the top aide to Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, saw their six-figure salaries rise by as much as 10 percent.
At least 10 additional staff members are making more money because of changes to their job classifications, with promotions leading to salary increases of more than 25 percent in some cases.