Oklahoma lawmakers won’t get raises amid cutbacks, board votes
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT
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4
Published: October 21, 2009
FUNDS | STATE OFFICIALS HAVE ORDERED BUDGET TRIMS
Legislative pay and benefits for state lawmakers won’t increase for at least the next three years.
The
Legislative Compensation Board voted unanimously Tuesday to keep legislative pay at the same level it’s been the past 11 years.
A couple of board members said legislators deserve an increase, but a pay hike couldn’t be justified during the state’s economic downtown. State budget officials have ordered agencies and departments to cut their budgets by 5 percent each of the first three months of this fiscal year, which began July 1, because of revenue coming in about 26 percent less than expected for that time period.
“We’re in a pretty bad pickle,” board member
Ted Metscher said. “I don’t see how we can increase legislative salaries at this point.”
Board Chairman Art Cotton said, “We certainly need to be supportive of our public servants, but ... you’ve got individuals and businesses throughout the state who are having to tighten their belt. It only makes sense that we keep the compensation where it’s at right now.”
Reviews at a glance
The board reviews pay and benefits for legislators every two years. Any changes take effect the next year, after the general election.
Legislators are paid $38,400 a year.
Oklahoma legislators are the 16thhighest paid, according to the
National Conference of State Legislatures.
California is the highest, with an annual salary of $116,208.
Oklahoma ranks first in pay in the region that consists of
Texas,
New Mexico,
Colorado,
Kansas,
Missouri and
Arkansas, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Oklahoma’s legislative leaders are paid extra. The speaker and president pro tempore are paid $56,332; floor leaders and budget committee chairmen are paid $50,764.
Evaluating work
Former
Sen. Charles Ford said the board should look at annual cost-of-living increases since the last increase in salary. The board last approved a pay increase for legislators in 1997; the 20 percent raise, which increased the annual salary for lawmakers from $32,000, took effect after the November 1998 general election.
“I’d like to think that they would be worth more,” Ford said. “It depends on the individual. There are people who spend so much time and add to the quality and the output of the Legislature that you couldn’t compensate them for what they would make somewhere else. There are those ... that do a very minimum to get the job done.”
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An elected official is not a public servant. Next time Mr Cotton thinks so, He should ask why the lege only works part-time, has a different retirement system than all other 'public servants', gets a daily per diem while at work & is not required to comply with either the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act, or the Oklahoma Personnel Act. Public servant, my foot!
And Dappiesdad, you probably already know, but Oklahoma state employees do not get COLA's. The pay increases for state employees must always be voted on by the state legislators, and raises are typical only in election years.