Since When Is Rewarding State Employees With a Modest Merit Bonus a Bad Thing?
MINOT, N.D. — Last week, Adam Willis reported about “a record high in bonus payments” to state employees.
Let’s begin with some perspective.
The total amount paid in bonuses was $625,000. That’s a lot of money, by any measure, but it was spread out over 25 state agencies. No single person got more than $1,500 because that’s the law.
As for this being a “record high” for bonuses, remember that the Legislature raised the cap for bonuses from $1,000 to $1,500 during their 2019 session. The Legislature made more money available for performance bonuses, and so the state spent more on bonuses.
What’s ironic is the bellyaching now coming from some in the Legislature about this utterly predictable turn of events.
