Rhode Island Senate will not vote on resolution to block salary increases for cabinet members

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — President of the Senate Valerie Lawson said that the Rhode Island Senate will not consider a joint resolution passed by the House of Representatives that would deny raises to executive department directors.

Lawson said that the decision was made to “keep salaries competitive” and because “in some cases, director’s salaries have fallen behind the salaries of the staff in the departments they oversee.”

Lawson’s full statement can be read below:

I appreciate the concerns that have been expressed by the Speaker, particularly with regard to optics during a challenging budget year. I also recognize that the governor believes these adjustments are necessary to keep salaries competitive with other states, so that we can attract and retain talented professionals to run complex state departments. In some cases, director’s salaries have fallen behind the salaries of the staff in the departments they oversee.

The Senate leadership considered whether this action by the executive branch warrants a highly unusual intervention by the legislative branch. We determined it does not.