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Budget Writers Vote Pay Raises for Delaware State Employees

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - Legislative budget writers have voted unanimously to spend more than $20 million to give state government workers a pay raise.

Members of the Joint Finance Committee voted Thursday to give most state employees a pay raise of 1.5 percent or $750, whichever is greater. Gov. Jack Markell in his budget proposal had recommended a smaller raise of 1 percent, or $500.

The panel also voted to approve pay hikes for employees of the University of Delaware, Delaware State University and Delaware Technical and Community College.

The raises would take effect in October.

The employee pay raises were among the final spending items the panel considered in wrapping up work on a $4 billion operating budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.