The first bill to be
assigned a number in the House of Representatives in the 2009 legislative
session carried symbolic weight and political heft for OPEA and state employees.
Representative John
Wright, R-Tulsa, filed House Bill 1027 entitled the Oklahoma State Employee
Recruitment and Retention Act, which proposes to create the Competitive Market
Pay Revolving Fund and the Pay for Performance Revolving Fund.
According to HB 1027
the Competitive Market Pay Revolving Fund would be funded through appropriations
equaling at least one percent (1%) of the total appropriated state agencies
payroll budget. The agencies would then be allowed to give pay raises equaling
one percent of their payroll budget, in those positions where recruiting and
retention are problems.
The Pay for
Performance Fund would also be seeded with one percent (1%) of the total
appropriated state agencies payroll budgets, but would be used for state
employee pay raises for those employees who meet or exceed standards on their
evaluation. The pay raise, three percent (3%) included in the bill would be
effective in January, 2010.
“OPEA is excited
the first bill produced in the House of Representatives is aimed at state
employees pay,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. “OPEA has worked
for the last couple of years to get the legislature to designate funds for state
employee pay raises and this is the first step. While we believe state
employees need a pay raise effective July, 2009, we are happy
Representative Wright has put together this proposal. We are looking forward to
working with him and the House leadership to make sure state employees receive a
pay raise this year.”
Posted on
Monday, December 15, 2008
by Mark Beutler