MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama House of Representatives has approved a 2.5 percent pay raise for teachers and education employees.
House members approved the raise on a 100-0 vote Tuesday. The bill now moves to the Alabama Senate.
The approval came after an hour of debate in which Democrats argued the raise should be higher.
Rep. Laura Hall and other Democrats said the raise should be 5 percent to compete with surrounding states and to offset recent increases in insurance premiums.
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Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Poole countered that any raise has to be sustainable in the future. He said the state should not tap savings to give a higher raise now.
The raise proposal is part of a package of spending bills moving along with the education budget.