Dozens of House, Senate staffers get pay boosts

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – More than three dozen Oklahoma House and Senate staffers have received $273,000 in annual raises over the past two years.
The Tulsa World reported 25 Senate employees got $146,000 in raises over the past two years, while the House gave $127,000 in raises to 14 employees effective Jan. 1.
The Senate pay hikes ranged from 1.25 percent to a boost of 66 percent for one worker.
Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz says the raises were for employees who took on additional duties.
Targeted raises for some state workers are not unusual. But the boosts come at a time when public school teachers haven’t gotten raises in a decade and the state workers’ association is asking for an across-the-board raise for rank-and-file workers.
The 2018 legislative session starts Monday.