Required by the Michigan
Constitution, the State Officers Compensation Commission (SOCC) will begin
meeting in the next few weeks. The SOCC is a seven-person board
constitutionally required to meet every two years to determine the salaries and
expense allowances of the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Justices of the
Michigan Supreme Court, members of the Legislature, the Lieutenant Governor and
the Governor.
Given the State of Michigan’s
current budget situation, increased compensation to our elected officials does
not seem likely; however, any change the SOCC makes must be approved by the
legislature and would affect those in office for 2017-18.
The last time SOCC met, two years
ago, it approved a 3% pay increase for judges, and only for 2015. Under the
requirements of SOCC, they are only responsible for setting the pay for the
Michigan Supreme Court; however, under Michigan statute, the pay for all other
judges is tied to the Supreme Court’s pay.
The Michigan Supreme Court has not
taken a position regarding the SOCC process, but Michigan Chief Justice Robert
Young testified in February before the Senate Judiciary Committee supporting Senate Bill 56,
legislation that would make local judges’ pay increases subject to the same
gradual pay increases as non-exclusively represented employees (NEREs).
Judges by law are limited from
receiving more than 85 percent of a Supreme Court justice's salary, which is
set by the SOCC. Back in 2002, voters approved changes to the SOCC, which now
requires affirmative votes from both the House and Senate before any pay
increase to the Supreme Court go into effect. The way the current process
works, it is "politically impossible" for any judge to get a raise.
As a result, it's been 14 years since any judge in Michigan has received a
raise, making it the longest duration of any state in the country.
Leaders from the Legislature have
suggested they are still looking into the issue; however, the presumption is
that no recommendations will be made to SOCC this year.