Politics & Government
Pay Raises Approved For Gov. Inslee, Other Elected Officials
The raises for jobs like governor, House speaker, and Supreme Court justice vary, but some will end up earning up to 18 percent more.
OLYMPIA, WA - The commission that sets salaries for state-level elected officials voted to approve a round of pay raises on Monday. The raises vary by job but a total of 19 elected positions, including the governor, state senators and representatives, and the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, were included.
The raises were approved by the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials (WCCSEO). Some raises are modest, like the 6.8 percent bump for the governor, but some judges will get raises approaching 18 percent.
The WCCSEO says elected officials need the raises to keep current with other government jobs. For example, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal earns about $136,000 per year, far less than local school district chiefs. Bellevue Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran earns $280,000, and Seattle Superintendent Denise Juneau earns $295,000 per year.
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And while state lawmakers are technically part-time, the WCCSEO says that lawmakers spend up to 74 percent of their time on state affairs.
The full raises will come in two phases: one that kicks in on July 1, and another on July 1, 2020. That means some elected officials might leave office before they get the full raise.
Find out what's happening in Across Washingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Here's a look at how much pay for each position will increase:
| Position | Current Salary | July 1, 2019 | July 1, 2020 |
| Governor | $177,107 | $183,072 | $189,186 |
| Lt. Governor | $103,937 | $111,725 | $117,875 |
| Secretary of State | $124,108 | $131,200 | $135,300 |
| Treasurer | $144,679 | $149,833 | $155,116 |
| Attorney General | $162,599 | $168,201 | $173,944 |
| Auditor | $124,108 | $128,748 | $133,504 |
| Supt. of Public Instruction | $136,910 | $146,575 | $153,750 |
| Insurance Commissioner | $126,555 | $133,250 | $138,375 |
| Commissioner of Public Lands | $138,225 | $146,575 | $153,750 |
| Supreme Court Chief Justice | $193,162 | $217,790 | $228,816 |
| Supreme Court Justice | $190,415 | $214,693 | $225,562 |
| Court of Appeals Judges | $181,263 | $204,374 | $214,720 |
| Superior Court Judges | $172,571 | $194,574 | $204,424 |
| District Court Judges | $164,313 | $185,263 | $194642 |
| State Sens, Reps | $48,731 | $53,024 | $57,425 |
| House Speaker | $57,990 | $61,024 | $65,425 |
| Senate Maj. Leader | $57,990 | $61,024 | $65,425 |
| House Min. Leader | $53,360 | $57,024 | $61,425 |
| Senate Min. Leader | $53,360 | $57,024 | $61,425 |
Patch file photo
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