Cobb County; State Court; change compensation of judges
Summary
HB 747 amends the local act creating the State Court of Cobb County to increase compensation for the court’s judges. Specifically, it raises the chief judge’s additional annual compensation from $10,892.55 to $11,328.25 and increases the annual salary for judges of Division 1 from $208,782.88 to $217,134.20. The bill is narrowly focused on updating pay provisions in the county’s state court act and does not alter the court’s jurisdiction, structure, or procedures.
Because it is a local act, the bill applies only to the State Court of Cobb County and affects the compensation of that court’s judges. It amends the prior 1964 act and includes a standard repeal of conflicting laws, ensuring the new salary figures control over any inconsistent prior provisions. The practical effect is to authorize higher judicial compensation for the affected local court positions.
Impact
HB 747 changes the statutory compensation schedule for judges of the State Court of Cobb County by amending the county-specific enabling act. It directly affects the chief judge and Division 1 judges, increasing their annual compensation amounts and superseding prior salary language in the local law. No broader statewide judicial compensation system is changed; the bill operates as a local statutory update for Cobb County.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House 170-0 and the Senate 53-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion suggests there was little visible debate or opposition, and the measure likely moved as a routine local compensation adjustment.
Contention
There is no recorded committee debate or visible opposition in the provided materials, and the roll-call votes were unanimous. As a result, there are no notable points of contention in the available record. The only substantive issue reflected in the bill is the amount of the salary increase for the affected judges, but that did not generate recorded disagreement.
Increases statutory mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court Justices, Superior Court Judges, Tax Court Judges, Administrative Law Judges, Workers' Compensation Judges and county prosecutors from 70 to 72.