The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Newsom,

I am writing to urgently request your support for a significant wage increase for Southern California Superior Court interpreter employees. Interpreter shortages have reached crisis levels: private-sector rates in Southern California are nearly double what the Superior Court pays its employees, and Federal Court rates are roughly 50% higher. The court’s current offer does not even keep pace with inflation or the soaring cost of living in Southern California. We are in essence, being asked to take a cut in pay, rather than receive a raise, as our purchasing power decreases with the current offer.

Just a few years ago, Superior Court interpreter and court reporter employees in Southern California earned comparable salaries. Today, interpreters earn roughly 50% less, despite carrying the same responsibilities for protecting constitutional rights and being mandated by law. Funds for interpreter services already exist in the state budget, yet low wages prevent the court from maintaining the workforce essential for timely, fair access to justice.

Research shows that other states pay significantly more for court interpreters, even in areas with a much lower cost of living. The Interpreter Compensation Study Report prepared by We Amplify It Language Access Consulting for the Washington Courts in 2024, recommended hourly rates ranges for credentialed spoken language interpreters of $70–$85 and $85-&100 for credentialed ASL interpreters for FY2025, far above current interpreter employee rates in the Superior Courts of Southern California. Without competitive compensation, California risks losing skilled professionals to other jurisdictions and the private sector. 

When interpreters are unavailable, Californians with limited English proficiency are silenced and cut off from proceedings that determine the fate of their liberty, safety, families, and livelihoods. More than ever, in today’s political climate, ensuring that every person can be fully heard in court is not optional—it is a mandated by law and a constitutional and moral imperative.

We urge you to prioritize competitive wage increases for Superior Court interpreter employees in Southern California. Doing so will stabilize the workforce, uphold due process, and demonstrate California’s commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion.

Thank you for your attention and leadership on this urgent matter.

Michèle Stevens