House Opposes Hike In Salary For Judges

The simmering legislative animosity toward Idaho’s judiciary has apparently doomed an attempt to boost the salaries of the state’s 125 judges this year.

The House Judiciary Committee on Monday bottled up a Senate-approved 5 percent hike in judicial salaries - an increase only half the level judges had originally sought.

Some committee members were bothered by the fact that the salaries of the three Industrial Commission members also would rise 5 percent since they are directly linked to the pay for district judges. But the underlying legislative frustration with the judiciary goes back to last year’s handling of the Snake River Basin Water Rights Adjudication.

Lawmakers have been steaming since last fall when 5th District Judge Daniel Hurlbutt voided many laws to streamline the process of sorting out 150,000 water rights.