On Wednesday July 18, 2012 plans for a one-year pay freeze for Senate employees was presented by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. However, this pay freeze, planned to take effect August 1, 2012, will come after 100 of merit raises were given to chamber aides. The freeze also will not affect pay raises due to promotions.
Steinberg claims the employees were operating under a pay freeze from 2007 to 2011 when performance based salary hikes began last year. The merit raises total $1.5 million with 58% of the employees receiving a salary hike. Current salary figures are not available at this time, the Senate has not updated the information since January 2012.
