Legislative Update | Pay Raise

Encouraging news from Jackson today: Despite the pay raise’s inclusion in the House’s massive tax proposal​, a clean pay raise bill will live on past today’s deadline for legislation to make it out of the opposing chamber. 

The Senate education and appropriations committees quickly passed HB 852​ out of committee this afternoon to ensure a standalone teacher pay raise bill is still alive​. Following a strike-all amendment, HB 852 will now contain the language from the Senate’s original standalone pay raise bill, SB 2001​. That bill’s language sees teachers with 0-2 years experience receiving a $1,100 pay increase, bringing the minimum starting salary to $37,000. All other teachers and teacher assistants would receive a $1,000 pay increase. 

We’re grateful for the lieutenant governor’s leadership and appreciative of Chairman DeBar and Chairman Hopson for, once again, passing a standalone bill out of their committees. 

The bill will now head to the full Senate for consideration. More details on how the day unfolded here​.