Scott Approves Pay Raises For State Employees, Law Enforcement

WFSU | By Morgan Danford

Published June 14, 2017 at 5:23 PM EDT

Florida Governor Rick Scott signs SB 7022 at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Wednesday.

Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a bill into law Wednesday giving state employees and law enforcement officials a pay raise.

The bill also includes $183 million for pay increases for judges, elected state attorneys and public defenders. Scott said he’s happy with the outcome.

“People have passion about what they believe in,” he said. “The speaker has passion about what he believes in, I have passion about what I believe in. Both of us went out there and tried to explain to others why what we believe in works. We were able to come together, that was a win for the families of our state.”

Rank-and-file employees who currently earn 40,000 dollars a year or less will get a 1,400 dollar pay increase and those earning more than 40,000 will receive a 1,000 raise.

The bill also includes changes to retirement and health insurance benefits.