February 24, 2011
Louisiana: The Louisiana Judicial Compensation Commission decided on February 1, 2011 not to ask the Legislature for judicial pay raises, explaining that they are "keenly aware of the financial demands on the state." These "financial demands" are illustrated in the state's anticipated $1.6 billion shortfall in revenues for the fiscal year that begins on July 1st. For the past five years, judges have received raises of over 4%, but Commission Chairman Joseph Toomy explained that this year is different. “It’s not the size of the raise; it’s the appropriateness,” he said. The Governor has also announced that he will not seek a pay raise for himself or any other state employee in the upcoming fiscal year. Currently, judicial salaries range from approximately $136,500 to $149,500 a year. This is slightly under average for judges in the South.[1]
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