Gov. Linda Lingle is proposing a two-year salary freeze for executive state leaders, judges and legislators to save over $4 million.

"We are asking our state employee unions to forego proposing raises in the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations," the governor said in a statement released today. "Thus it is important that state leaders also make sacrifices and lead by example."

The freeze would affect 208 people due raises approved by the Commission on Salaries in 2007. All are state elected officials and top administrators in the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

"At a time when many Hawai'i residents are losing their jobs or seeing their salaries frozen or reduced, it would be inappropriate for state leaders to accept pay raises," Lingle said. "We respect the work of those who served on the , but recognize they made their recommendations almost two years ago when economic and fiscal conditions were much different."

The savings amounts to $4,114,620, Lingle said. The proposed bill must pass the upcoming legislative session in order to delay pay raises due on July 1, 2009.

The affected individuals include 42 executive branch officials due for 5 percent raises in July 2009 and 3.5 percent in July 2010, including the governor, lieutenant governor, the governor's chief of staff, and 39 appointed directors and deputy directors of cabinet departments.

Also affected are 90 judges, including the Hawai'i Supreme Court justices and all state court judges, who are scheduled to receive salary increases of 10 percent effective July 1, 2009 and 3.5 percent effective July 1, 2010.

The bill would also suspend a 3.5 percent increase for all 76 state Legislators on Jan. 1, 2010. The governor is asking the Legislature to forego the 36 percent ($12,808) salary increases lawmakers are scheduled to receive on Jan. 1, 2009. This would save an additional $486,704 in fiscal year 2009.

In 2006, the Legislature passed a bill to amend the State Constitution to establish a Commission on Salaries to review and recommend salaries for the justices of the Supreme Court, judges of all state courts, members of the State Legislature, directors and deputy directors of cabinet departments, the administrative director of the state (chief of staff) and the governor and lieutenant governor. The constitutional amendment was approved by Hawai'i voters in the November 2006 election.