Senate President Mike Cooney, D-Helena, told the Senate that the bill, which would increase pay for state employees by 3 percent over the next two years, was "long overdue." The Senate voted 29-21 to endorse the bill. A final vote was expected Wednesday.
The deal was negotiated between the state's largest public employee unions and the governor's office.
"Where is your courage?" Sen. Rick Laible, R-Darby, asked the Democrats, who voted against two Republican-proposed amendments to the bill.
One amendment by Sen. John Cobb, R-Augusta, would have replaced one comma with the word "and." Cobb said his amendment would clarify that nonunion state workers' performance be considered in their pay increases.
The other amendment would have limited the governor's ability to set the wages for some appointed state employees.
The bill had already cleared the House and a key Senate committee. Democrats held a meeting before debating the bill to ensure it would not be amended. Cooney told his Democratic colleagues that any amendments to the bill would give the GOP-controlled House the chance to "hold the bill hostage" despite the assurances of House Majority Leader Mike Lange, R-Billings, that it wouldn't.
On the Senate floor, Cooney said there was a "difference of opinion" on whether the bill needed to be changed. He said he felt it was fine as is.
The $100 million proposal also increases payments for health insurance and helps agencies bring state employees' pay to within 80 percent of what people doing similar jobs in the private sector are earning.
The bill is House Bill 13.
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