OKLAHOMA CITY – Court reporters and bailiffs working in state courts could see a substantial pay increase under a proposal working its way through the Oklahoma Legislature.
House Bill 4118 would change existing law and increase the base salaries for court reporters and bailiffs throughout the state. The proposal, authored by state Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, would boost salaries between 8 and 25 percent, said Sterling Zearley, the executive director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association.
“This bill has been needed for a long time,” Zearley said.
Base salaries for court reporters and bailiffs need to be increased, he said, because the positions have become more difficult to fill. Zearley said court reporters were leaving the state courts for tribal courts and other state’s court systems because wages were higher.
“To stay competitive, the compensation for these positions should more closely match those of their counterparts,” he said.
A wage analysis released by the OPEA listed the base salary for a certified court reporter in Oklahoma at $42,410. Tribal courts, the document showed, have a base salary of $62,600 and in federal courts, the salary is $81,817.
Hasenbeck said the problem is compounded because court reporters are forced to pay for their training and equipment.
“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,” Hasenbeck wrote in a column submitted to the Ledger. “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.”
Hasenbeck said her bill gives court reporters an annual salary of $53,000, beginning in Fiscal Year 2023. The bill would also authorize additional increases – up to $6,000 – for reporters who received extra certifications.
The measure would also increase the salary for bailiffs from its present level of just above $30,000 to $42,000, she said.
HB 4118 received a do pass recommendation from the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Judiciary. The measure is expected to be heard by the full Appropriations and Budget Committee soon.