State lawmakers are in line for a substantial pay raise for the next two years, though not as generous as initially proposed.
A citizens’ committee Wednesday morning recommended increasing annual legislative salaries to $25,000. That’s a 25% increase.
Legislative leaders floated a much more generous plan last month that failed on a tie vote. It would’ve nearly doubled lawmakers’ salaries and tied them to a percentage of Idahoans’ average household income.
Joanne Stringfield, a retired Micron executive and committee member, said average household income isn’t the appropriate benchmark for compensation.
Instead, her plan relies on state employees’ pay.
“Our state employees and our legislators have similar benefits and it makes sense to me to tie legislators’ salaries to 40% of what the median state employee salary is,” Stringfield said.
The House Speaker and Senate Pro Tem’s proposal would’ve cut lawmakers’ meal per diem to justify the higher base salaries, something Stringfield also opposed.
“It just doesn’t make sense to move that and I believe it also kind of muddies the water in terms of separating what is the cost of doing the business of the legislature,” she said.
All three people who testified Wednesday morning opposed leadership’s plan, including conservative lobbying organizations.
“A 43% pay increase for legislators during a time of historic inflation is out of touch with what Idaho people want and the conservative values we hold true,” said Sulamita Rotante from American Action Fund.
Lawmakers must still sign off on the raises before they become effective.
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