HB1507: HB1507 Wayne County; State Court; judge and solicitor; revise salary

This bill amends the 1916 Act that created the State Court of Wayne County (formerly the City Court of Jesup), as it has been amended over time, most recently in 2016. It rewrites the sections setting pay for the court's judge and its solicitor (the local prosecutor for that court). Both officials would now be paid an annual salary of $135,711.27, paid monthly from Wayne County funds at the direction of the county board of commissioners. Each year, that salary would be adjusted by whatever cost-of-living percentage the Wayne County Board of Commissioners approves for its general county employees, if any. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and applies only to Wayne County's state court.

• Sets the annual salary of the State Court of Wayne County judge at $135,711.27, replacing the prior salary figure.
• Sets the annual salary of the State Court of Wayne County solicitor at $135,711.27, matching the judge's pay.
• Ties future salary increases for both positions to the cost-of-living adjustment, if any, that the Wayne County Board of Commissioners approves for general county employees.
• Requires both salaries to be paid in monthly installments from Wayne County funds as directed by the county board of commissioners.
• Repeals any prior laws that conflict with these salary provisions.

The judge and solicitor of the State Court of Wayne County, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, which funds and administers the pay, and Wayne County taxpayers, since the salaries are paid from county funds.

The bill locks in a specific salary for two key Wayne County court officials and links future raises to the same cost-of-living adjustments county employees get, meaning their pay will rise or stay flat depending on decisions the county commission makes for its general workforce.

• Section 1 revises Section 3 of the original 1916 Act to set the judge's annual salary at $135,711.27, adjusted yearly by the county's cost-of-living increase for general employees, paid monthly from county funds.
• Section 2 revises Section 4 of the original Act to set the solicitor's annual salary at the same $135,711.27 figure, with identical annual adjustment and payment terms.
• Section 3 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 574
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-19Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-19Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-16Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-12House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Steven Meeks (R, HD-178)Primary sponsor
• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 12, 2026

   158 yea, 0 nay (10 not voting, 8 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #697

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 19, 2026

   49 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #745

• Wayne County
• local government salaries
• state court judges
• county government
• judicial pay