Even though a 1949 amendment to Kentucky's state constitution raised public officials' annual salaries from $5000 to $12,000 per year, this is still far below the salaries of officials in other states. Efforts to pass additional amendments to raise the salary have failed, so instead the $12,000 salary has been reinterpreted as being in 1949 dollars, allowing a continual adjustment for inflation to make those salaries appropriate for the current economy.