Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius today signed legislation that gives state employees a 2.5 percent pay increase and phases-in increases for thousands of state workers whose pay has fallen below market value.

State Rep. Lee Tafanelli, R-Ozawkie, who helped work on the proposal said the new pay plan was long overdue.

“It is a landmark day for our state employees, and more importantly for the state of Kansas, as we now have a pay plan that we believe helps to fit the contemporary needs of the state and certainly recognizes our state employees for the valuable work that they do on behalf of all of the citizens of Kansas,” Tafanelli said.

The two-year bipartisan work product will bring 7,758 state employees up to market level during the next five years. There are approximately 40,000 state employees in Kansas.

The Kansas Legislature allocated $16 million for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, for the first phase of the plan.