On Monday, a bill I authored to give court reporters a much-needed raise passed its subcommittee.
Court reporters, sometimes called stenographers or shorthand reporters, capture the words spoken by everyone during a court or deposition proceeding by using a stenographic machine. They then prepare verbatim transcripts of the proceedings to be kept for court records.
Oklahoma is facing a shortage of court reporters and bailiffs, which slows down the criminal justice process and leaves many Oklahomans in limbo while the process is stalled.
The out-of-pocket expense each court reporter faces is significant: they have to buy their own equipment as well as purchase the operating system to transcribe the material and send it to the proper place.
These expenses, combined with a lower annual salary than our neighboring states, have caused an exodus of court reporters. Unfortunately, we’re losing many of them to nearby states where they can earn higher salaries.
House Bill 4118 would give court reporters an annual salary of $53,000, beginning in Fiscal Year 2023. The current base salary for court reporters is $42,410 a year.
Additionally, there are several certifications that court reporters can achieve to earn an additional $6,000 a year.
Under this bill, secretary-bailiffs would receive an annual salary of $42,000. Right now, the minimum salary they receive is just above $30,000, but the national average salary is $40,000.
These raises will help us attract the next generation of court reporters as many begin to retire, as well as keep the court reporters we currently have.
The bill was approved unanimously by the House Appropriations & Budget Subcommittee on Judiciary, and will now be scheduled to be heard by the full House A&B Committee. From there, it would move onto the House floor for a full vote.
Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, a Republican, represents House District 65 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Her district includes Cotton County and portions of Comanche, Stephens, Grady and Caddo counties. Rep. Hasenbeck can be reached at (405) 557-7305.