The Portland Press Herald reported (http://bit.ly/1CQyEmK ) on Wednesday that the Republican governor has authorized pay increases averaging 4 percent for nearly 50 employees within his administration.

The commissioners who lead the state’s agencies are among those who will see their pay checks go up.

The increases were part of a legislatively-approved effort by LePage to bring the salaries of executive branch managers in line with top legislative staff.

The 12 commissioners who head Maine’s agencies will now be paid nearly $128,000 a year. They now make between roughly $103,000 and $118,000.