An Act To Amend the Law Pertaining to Staff in the Office of the Attorney General

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §196, first ¶,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 154, §1, is further amended to read:

The Attorney General may appoint one or more deputy attorneys general, assistant attorneys general and staff attorneys who serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General or until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. They may perform all the duties required of the Attorney General and other duties the Attorney General delegates to them. The Attorney General may appoint research assistants with any powers and duties the Attorney General delegates. Research assistants may perform duties delegated to them by the Attorney General, including activities authorized by Title 4, section 807. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the compensations of assistant attorneys general, staff attorneys, research assistants, law office manager , secretary to the Attorney General and deputy attorneys general are fixed by the Attorney General. The compensations of the staff attorneys, assistant attorneys general and secretary to the Attorney General are fixed by the Attorney General with the approval of the Governor, but such compensations may not in the aggregate exceed the amount appropriated for those positions and may not result in an increased request to future Legislatures.

summary

This bill eliminates the requirement that salaries set by the Attorney General for the assistant attorneys general, staff attorneys and secretary to the Attorney General be approved by the Governor and that the aggregate amount of such compensation not exceed the amount appropriated or result in an increased request to future Legislatures.