Hawaii Legislature’s pay cuts signed into law

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed a law extending 5 percent pay cuts for himself, legislators, judges and department heads.

Abercrombie signed the bill Thursday that continues the pay cuts for two more years. The Legislature passed the measure earlier this month.

If lawmakers hadn’t acted, they would have received huge raises when their previous two-year pay reduction was scheduled to expire at the end of June.

Legislative leaders have said they needed to share in the pain of government reductions and a sour economy. Lawmakers make about $46,000 a year.

The 5 percent reduction is in line with pay cuts accepted by public employees in a newly approved labor contract between the state government and the Hawaii Government Employees Association.