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Bill gives raise to part-time lawmaker now earning $99,000

Measure makes House Speaker a full-time state employee

ATLANTA — Two bills in the Georgia legislature would give a raise to two of the state’s most powerful men. Its sponsor says it's in response to abuse-of-power allegations against one of them: House Speaker Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge).

We’ll start this story with a couple of facts you may find a bit eye opening.

The Lt. Governor of Georgia, Geoff Duncan, has a yearly salary of more than $91,609.44 according to online state records 

The Speaker of the House, David Ralston, earns $99,082.92 per year. Ralston and Duncan are considered part time state employees, “citizen legislators,” like the other part-time lawmakers who mostly earn a much-more-modest $17,341.68 per year.

Outside of his part time job at the state Capitol, David Ralston has another full-time job as a criminal defense lawyer in north Georgia. Ralston has angered victims in some of those cases by postponing numerous court dates— citing a law allowing him to do so because of his work as House Speaker.

PREVIOUS: Republican state leaders call for Speaker David Ralston to resign

"There is only one person who has abused legislative leave and that’s the speaker of the house. And so lets do something about it," said state Rep. Scot Turner (R-Holly Springs).

AND: Courtroom adversaries make case against Ralston 

Turner is one of the few outspoken Republican critics of the republican House speaker. Turner has introduced a bill that would make the House Speaker, and the Lieutenant Governor, full time jobs. Turner says it would eliminate the need for the Speaker to hold a job as an attorney – and to seek court postponements because of his work at the Capitol. 

MORE: 'I won't resign' | Speaker Ralston defends use of law that let him postpone criminal cases

It would also give the men a nice raise. The Speaker would get a 25 percent raise to $125,000 per year.  The Lieutenant Governor would get a 36 percent raise, also to $125,000.

"They would have to commit 100 percent of their energy to the job of being Speaker of the House," Turner said. 

Speaker Ralston’s office declined comment on the bill, as did Lt. Gov. Duncan.

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