Bentley: State employee raises not likely

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WALA) - Gov. Robert Bentley says it's unlikely teachers and state employees will get pay raises in this year's budgets.

The governor says his staff is studying the issue but that the money is just not there for a state employees' pay raise, which would mostly have to come out of the cash-strapped General Fund budget. He said it also looks uncertain whether the funds will be available for a pay increase for education employees.

Mac McArthur is the executive director of the Alabama State Employees Association, and he says rank-and-file employees have not received a pay increase since 2008.

The chairman of the education budget committee said he has not received a "hard estimate" on how much tax revenue will be available for the education budget.