Lauderdale County, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, district attorneys, annual supplemental compensation provided
Summary
HB392 is a local act for Lauderdale County that provides annual supplemental compensation of $24,000 to the chief assistant district attorney and three assistant district attorneys serving in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The payment is to be made in equal monthly installments from the county general fund, in addition to any other compensation already authorized by law.
The bill also states that this new supplement overrides any other salary supplement provided by local law. In addition, the chief assistant district attorney and assistant district attorneys are made at-will employees of the district attorney and are exempt from residency requirements. The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.
Impact
HB392 changes the compensation structure for certain prosecutorial positions in Lauderdale County by creating a county-funded annual salary supplement for four district attorney staff members in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. It supersedes conflicting local salary supplements and clarifies employment conditions for those positions, including at-will service and no residency requirement. The bill affects the county general fund and the compensation terms for the chief assistant district attorney and assistant district attorneys in that circuit.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the Legislature. It passed the House and Senate with strong margins, including unanimous final passage votes, indicating little formal opposition to the measure. The only recorded dissent in the voting history was on a procedural motion to cease debate in the Senate, which passed but drew some opposition, suggesting limited procedural concern rather than substantive resistance to the bill itself.
Contention
The main substantive point of contention, if any, would be the use of county general funds to provide a substantial supplemental salary for prosecutorial staff, along with the bill’s override of any existing local salary supplements. The residency exemption and at-will employment language may also be notable, as they remove local restrictions and place these positions more directly under the district attorney’s control. However, the available voting record shows no significant opposition to the bill’s substance, and no committee transcript indicates active debate.