Wisconsin Senate to sign off on new State Patrol contract

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Senate was scheduled to sign off Wednesday on a new contract for the Wisconsin State Patrol that would raise salaries retroactively 9.9% for troopers.

The deal covering 370 troopers would boost starting salaries by $6,000 a year and adjust the pay scale for all troopers based on their years of service as part of a move to boost recruitment and retention. The deal is retroactive to the two-year period that ended in July 2019. Troopers will receive a lump sum payment.

The agreement was reached after a previous deal, costing about twice as much, was rejected by Republican legislative leaders. Under that rejected plan, starting salaries would have increased as much as 20%. Under the new deal, all troopers will get a 2% raise. It will also reduce when a trooper is eligible for top scale pay from 10 years to seven years.