Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison
MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin lawmakers on Tuesday approved 2% pay raises for all state employees except the Milwaukee County district attorney.
The bipartisan Joint Committee of Employment Relations voted unanimously to approve the pay plan. But whoever is Milwaukee County district attorney after the 2024 election will not get the pay raise that all other district attorneys will receive.
Republican Senate President Chris Kapenga, co-chair of the committee, said the pay raise was pulled back because of the $1,000 bail recommended by District Attorney John Chisholm's office for a violent offender who went on to kill six people and injure more than 60 in Waukesha’s Christmas parade in late November.
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The raise would not take effect until 2025 because elected officials cannot receive salary increases in the middle of a term.
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Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm
Statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester):
"We are proud to approve the raises for the good people who do valuable work for our state. With no active campaign to attract workers to Wisconsin, we must be diligent in recognizing the great workers we do have by staying competitive and adjusting for inflation.
"Wisconsin’s worker shortage is real; we see it in every industry, including state employees. With this labor market, we need to be making investments in our state workforce, especially our corrections staff and healthcare staff at state facilities.
"We have strongly urged the governor to use federal funds for employee attraction and retention bonuses at our state’s correctional institutions. We hope he will do the right thing for these hardworking individuals."
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