by Logan Finney, Idaho Reports

The annual pay raise for Idaho’s judges made it through its final hurdle in the Legislature on Tuesday evening.

Senate Assistant Majority Leader Abby Lee, R-Fruitland, carried the House bill on the Senate floor.

“If a judge notifies the public that they want to retire within a year of the end of their term, then they would be eligible for a $25,000 incentive,” Lee said. “It will reward individuals for completing their term. We’re seeing that some individuals, some of our judges are leaving early and then those positions are replaced by the Judicial Council.”

Legislative leaders have pursued bills over several sessions to reform how often judges are appointed to the bench by the Idaho Judicial Council rather than initially running for election.

“This is all carrot and no stick,” Lee said.

The policy provision is tied to the annual salary increase for judges across the state.

“This is a response to a different bill that we sent over, and this is what we have before us,” Lee said.

A few senators were unhappy that the House did not take up a bill to simply increase the salaries.

“We’re including policy with a salary bill. That’s not something we do with other state employees,” said Sen. Mary Shea, a substitute for James Ruchti, D-Pocatello.

Sens. Chris Trakel, R-Caldwell, and Carrie Semmelroth, D-Boise, were the only votes in opposition.

“We’re going to give them an incentive of $25,000 to finish out a term that they ran for office for?” Trakel said. “I find this completely absurd, and it won’t prevent anybody from saying well I’m going to retire anyways.”

Semmelroth told Idaho Reports after the vote that she was opposed to politicizing judicial salaries.

“It’s so important to protect that branch of government from politics, and that’s coming from the judges themselves,” Semmelroth said.

The bill now heads to the governor.

---