Bill would delay new judges' access to supplemental compensation; committee reports measure favorably

Chair Senator Miller presented Senate Bill 232, which would change who may participate in the Judge's Supplemental Compensation Fund. Miller said the fund, created more than 40 years ago and funded by court costs, was once a way to ensure judges were paid during budget shortfalls but now creates an "extreme burden on litigants." The bill would bar newly elected judges from receiving supplemental payments until they have served three years, retain savings as a reserve for fund stability, and seek a path toward funding judicial pay through the general fund rather than court costs.

Committee members asked clarifying questions; supporters and the chairman said the measure does not reduce current judges' payments and would aim to stabilize compensation over time. The committee reported SB232 favorably and then adjourned.