22 members oppose pay raise for Georgia Governor

The Georgia House of Representatives is heading back to the Gold Dome this week after passing nearly 100 bills during the second half of last week. One of those was a hefty pay raise for the Governor.

House Bill 202, sponsored by state representative Jay Powell, seeks to give the Governor a $115,000 annual raise. The salary currently in Georgia code is $60,000 annually and House Bill 202 would brings that salary to a solid $175,000. Interestingly, the Governor of Georgia currently makes well beyond $60,000, with reports in recent years showing a salary of $139,339. Even at nearly $140,000, Georgia ranks No. 23 – just above the median – in the nation for gubernatorial pay.

Interestingly, the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Chris Riley, earns just under $1,000 less than the Governor at the current rate. Riley was paid $138,499.82 in 2016.

The bill would not take effect until January 1, 2019, which means the bill would not apply to Governor Deal who is unable to seek a third term. That justification, however, was not enough for some Georgia House members. The $175,000 threshold would make Georgia’s Governor the 6th highest paid governor in the U.S., following only Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Virginia.

Read more: http://evans.allongeorgia.com/22-members-oppose-pay-raise-for-georgia-governor/