CARSON CITY -- State Sen. Bob Beers complained Wednesday that Nevada's Supreme Court and District Court judges would become the highest paid in the country if the Legislature approved the pay increases recommended in the court system's $178 million two-year budget.

Chief Justice Bill Maupin said justices' annual salaries, $140,000, would be increased to $182,000 under the budget proposal. District judges are paid $130,000, and their salaries would increase to $169,000 under the budget request.

The 30 percent increases were recommended by a compensation task force. In its budget request, the court system seeks general fund revenue of $130 million over the next two years, compared with just under $100 million in its current budget period. Other court revenue comes from fines and assessments.

Judges want to create 10 more district judgeships in Clark County, with two more in Washoe County.

Maupin said the salaries requested are comparable to what a middle manager or junior partner of a law firm in Nevada is paid.

"We would be in first place," responded Beers, R-Las Vegas, during a joint Senate-Assembly budget review subcommittee hearing.

Supreme Court justices would be tied with their counterparts in California for the highest pay, Beers said, and district judges would rank first.

He said "something in the middle" might be more appropriate because the Economic Forum, the group which determines the amount of revenue available of state government to spend, might project a decline in revenue.

The group will meet May 1 to determine revenue available for the next two fiscal years.

"We are not expecting happy news from the Economic Forum," Beers said.

In another hearing Wednesday, Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said the forum might reduce available revenue by $50 million because of slumping sales tax revenue.

Assemblywoman Kathy McClain, D-Las Vegas, told Maupin "not to expect happy news on the pay increases."

The court system wants judges to be given the same annual raises awarded other state workers by the Legislature. Gov. Jim Gibbons has recommended 2 percent and 4 percent salary increases over the next two years for state workers and teachers.

District Judge Jennifer Togliatti objected to Beers' characterization that Nevada judges would be the highest paid in the nation.

She said the salary increases would not go into effect until 2009. She said Beers was comparing the salaries Nevada judges would receive then with the salaries paid in 2006 for judges in other states. Many states are considering increasing the pay of their judges, she said.

She expressed doubt Nevada salaries would be the highest.

"We don't think it is fair," Togliatti said of Beers' characterization.

"We want to compare apples with apples," Maupin added.

"That is awfully tough to do on the farm of the Legislature," Beers replied.

Togliatti said the National Center for State Courts showed Nevada Supreme Court justices ranked 20th among the states in 2006 with their $140,000 salaries, while district judges ranked 14th.

The salary survey also showed Nevada justices can earn as much $171,000 a year counting their longevity pay. District Court judges can earn as much as $159,000 a year.

The survey did not show judges in any other state receiving longevity pay.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, said judicial candidates know what they will be paid when they run for office and can adjust their expenses accordingly.

"They get what they asked for," Coffin said, also mentioning that some judges might "get cynical and let their work slide" if not granted increases.

The subcommittee made no recommendation on the court system's budget. Beers said he wanted more details on spending by the state's 31 drug, mental health and other special courts.