When the state’s annual legislative session begins next week, the Idaho Supreme Court will request a large raise in judges’ compensation from the Idaho Legislature.
The Idaho Supreme Court published a report analyzing court pay in Western surrounding states and a proposal for higher Idaho judge salaries on Thursday. According to the research, the National Center for State Courts released a poll in July 2024 that placed the wages of judges on the Idaho Supreme Court as the 50th highest in the United States and its territories.
The Idaho Supreme Court suggests raising the present salary of $169,508 to $215.00 annually for justices of the Idaho Supreme Court. That would be an almost 27% rise if the Idaho Legislature approved it.
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According to the idea, the pay of an Idaho Supreme Court justice should serve as the model for other judicial salaries.
The following wages are proposed, based on the pay of justices of the Idaho Supreme Court:
$207,000, up from the current $161,508 for a judge of the Court of Appeals.
A district court judge’s salary increased from $155,508 to $201,000.
A magistrate judge will now get $193,000 instead of the present $147,508 salary.
Pay increases could aid with Idaho judges’ recruitment and retention problems.
The proposed salary hikes, according to the justices of the Idaho Supreme Court, are required to address the state’s problems with hiring and retention. The recommendation was presented by the Idaho Supreme Court following an analysis of judge and attorney salaries in nearby states.
Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan of the Idaho Supreme Court stated in a written statement on Thursday that the Supreme Court does not make these requests lightly. We find careful methods to stretch public funds, and Idaho’s courts only use a small portion of public spending. But we need to keep salaries competitive with what seasoned lawyers and judges can make elsewhere if we want to preserve our robust, independent court.
As the new session begins, the question of salaries and compensation for public officials and state employees is becoming more and more prominent.
As previously reported by the Idaho Capital Sun, the Citizens Committee on Legislative Compensation approved a 25% raise for Idaho lawmakers in November. The committee demanded that lawmakers receive $25,000 annually instead of the current $19,913. Rather of being a professional full-time legislative body that meets for 80 to 90 days a year, the Idaho Legislature is a part-time seasonal legislature. When the legislative session starts, a few Republican lawmakers have promised to oppose their raises.
In the meanwhile, the Idaho Division of Human Resources is suggesting that all permanent state employees receive raises of 4%, or $1.25 per hour, citing the fact that public compensation fall short of what private companies pay for same work.
Gov. Brad Little will give the annual State of the State address on Monday, marking the start of Idaho’s 2025 legislative session.
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