A key Senate committee Thursday approved a bill to delay raises for the governor, state lawmakers and judges as part of the state response to the hard times brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The state Salary Commission last year approved 4% raises per year for two years for the governor, and 5% raises last year and this year for state department heads. The commission also approved pay increases of $2,000 a year for state judges starting last July 1, with another $2,000 raise kicking in each year from 2019 until 2024.

Lawmakers were also supposed to receive raises of 10% effective next Jan. 1, followed by 2.5% pay increases at the beginning of each of the following three years.

House Bill 117, which was approved Thursday by the Senate Ways and Means Committee, would defer most of those raises until July 1, 2021.

Gov. David Ige received the first step of the two-step salary increase July 1, which increased his pay to $165,048. However, HB 117 would defer his next scheduled 4% increase by a year, to July 1, 2021.

State department heads also received their 5% raises July 1, with most directors seeing an increase to $154,812. Their next 5% pay increase also would be deferred until July 2021 under the bill.

Circuit Court judges also got a pay increase July 1, but their next $2,000 increase will be delayed until next year under the bill. Circuit judges now earn $207,084.

Lawmakers did not get an increase last year. Most representatives and senators earn $62,604, and are scheduled to receive a 10% increase to $68,868 on Jan. 1.

HB117 would delay that 10% pay increase for most lawmakers until July 1, 2021.