By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – The House has passed a bill that would give state employees a four percent cost of living raise later this year. It would also provide a four percent pension increase for retired state workers. Governor Bob Riley says he'll support it. He says he likes the bill because it also would change the way state employees are paid. Instead of getting a paycheck every two weeks, employees would be paid twice a month. That would eliminate an occasional extra payday, and Riley says that change would help the state. The Senate is expected to consider the pay raise next week.