State attorney general's office, audit committee at odds over raises

FILE — The state Capitol is shown in this 2019 file photo.
FILE — The state Capitol is shown in this 2019 file photo.

Members of the Arkansas Legislative Joint Auditing Committee say it’s time to find a resolution for a disagreement between Arkansas Legislative Audit and the attorney general’s office over the implementation of 2% raises for state employees who are paid at maximum-authorized salaries.

The committee on Thursday held filing an audit report that states 29 employees in the attorney general’s office were paid in excess of the line-item salary appropriation, per Act 47 of 2020, by a total of $64,629, in conflict with the Arkansas Constitution. The report recommended the office ensure that employees aren't paid above appropriated line-item maximum salary amounts.

Brian Bowen, chief of staff for the attorney general, said the office disagrees with the committee's assessment because the office, and other Constitutional offices, are clearly exempted from the Uniform Classification and Compensation Act. Bowen also said the original subject of the audit moved from a statutory issue to a constitutional issue.

"While we agree that we are bound by the Arkansas Constitution, your citations to Article 16 and 19 are not relevant to the findings in your report, as we complied with the Constitution and all applicable laws and statutes," representatives for the attorney general's office said in a response to the audit. "The Office of the Attorney General will continue to comply with all applicable statutes and the Arkansas Constitution."

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