DOVER, Del. (AP) - House lawmakers have given final approval to a bill approving bonuses of $500 each for state government employees.
The measure will cost state taxpayers about $23 million. It cleared the House unanimously Thursday, one day after unanimous Senate passage.
The employee bonuses are on top of pay raises in the new fiscal year budget of $1,000 for most state employees and 2 percent for teachers, which will cost taxpayers about $26 million.
The legislation approved Thursday also included $11 million for one-time pension supplements of $400 to state government retirees, and $15 million for other one-time expenditures, including $3 million for elections and $2 million for a state health claims database.
Passage of the bill brings the spending increase over this fiscal year’s operating budget to more than 5 percent.
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