Ducey quietly taps $95M in virus cash to boost trooper pay

By BOB CHRISTIE
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey quietly tapped $95 million in federal coronavirus relief money in November to boost pay for state troopers, prison guards and essential workers in several other state agencies. The Republican governor’s office is giving 20% pay boosts to the state’s corrections officers, 15% to state troopers and 10% to workers at the child safety, economic security, juvenile corrections, transportation and health services departments. Using the money to provide premium pay for essential workers is allowed under the virus relief law signed by President Joe Biden last March. Governments can boost pay by up to $13 per hour and the maximum per employee amount is $25,000. Nearly half the state’s 35,000 workers will get the pay through June.