Moret’s raise stays, Jindal says

• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jul 8, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Gov. Bobby Jindal said Monday that he plans to leave a $75,000 pay increase for Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret in the state operating budget despite vetoing raises for legislators and others.

The governor told the Press Club of Baton Rouge that the $320,000 salary is justified because economic development is a priority for his administration.

“We hired Stephen to do a very important job,” Jindal said.

Jindal vetoed raises for lawmakers and the Public Service Commission calling them “excessive.”

He said Moret’s salary — $75,000 more than his predecessor made — comes with a high level of scrutiny.

Moret will have to generate jobs in exchange for the heightened salary, the governor said.

The economic development secretary is one of several members of the Jindal administration who will make more than his predecessor.

Moret’s deputy, Steve Grissom, will make $94,040 more than the person who held the job before him.

The raises are included as an amendment to the $29.9 billion state government spending plan for the budget year that began July 1. Jindal has not yet acted on the budget bill.

As governor, Jindal could strip the Moret-Grissom pay amendment from the budget bill.

Last week, the governor vetoed legislation that would have more than doubled legislators’ base pay — giving them $20,700 more a year. He also overturned a $30,000 pay raise for members of the Public Service Commission.

During the legislative session that ended June 23, the House removed Moret’s pay raise from the budget. The Senate restored it and both chambers then gave the increase final approval.

Jindal still is mulling House Bill 1, the budget legislation. He is expected to remove a number of “pet projects” in legislators’ districts as he did in another budget bill.