New bill in Idaho Legislature seeks to raise judges' pay
A new bill that would raise the pay for Idaho judges is heading to the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives with a recommendation it passes.
If passed into law, House Bill 322 would raise the salary for each judicial position in Idaho by $17,000.
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The proposed increase is coming on the heels of appeals from the Idaho Supreme Court to raise judges' pay. During the annual State of the Judiciary address to the Idaho House and Idaho Senate on Jan. 15, Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan told legislators that pay for Idaho judges ranks 48th out of 53 U.S. states and territories.
Bevan said pay for Idaho judges is so low that one-third of Idaho judges who announced their retirement in fiscal year 2024 returned to the law as attorneys, where they can make more money.
Bevan said the judicial branch often has a difficult time filling open judges positions because experienced candidates could earn much more money in private practice as attorneys.
'As you likely know from the recent cases in which this body has had to hire private legal counsel, the disparity between current judicial salaries and the compensation of attorneys in both public and private sectors is continuing to grow,' Bevan told legislators Jan. 15. 'Even at current salaries, the cost of housing and other life expenses in parts of our state discourages attorneys from seeking the bench. Pay does not just not affect recruitment. This is also a retention issue.'
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If passed into law, House Bill 322 would make the following changes to judges' salaries:
Idaho Supreme Court justices' salaries would increase from $169,508 to $186,508, a 10% increase.
Court of Appeals judges' salaries would increase from $161,508 to $178,508, a 10.5% increase.
District judges salaries' would increase from $155,508 to $172,508, a 10.9% increase.
Magistrate judges' salaries would increase from $147,508 to $164,508, a 11.5% increase.
House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee Chairman Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, and Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello, co-sponsored the bill to raise judges' salaries.
'I hope this may help us with some of the loss of judges that we are experiencing now who are going back into private practice, which I've stated before, has never happened in my career as an attorney,' Skaug said. 'I've never seen judges leave the bench and go back to private practice like we are seeing now, and we're not getting applications for judges, especially district judges, right now.'
Skaug told legislators Thursday that the salary increases proposed in his bill don't go as far as he would like personally. However, he said he is putting the proposal forward as is because he thinks it has a better chance of passing.
House Bill 322 heads next to the floor of the Idaho House with a recommendation it passes. If a majority of members of the Idaho House vote to pass the bill, it would be sent to the Idaho Senate for consideration.
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