In response to the 67% pay raise proposal for legislators, I introduced Senate Bill (SB) 111 “Rejecting Legislators’ Salary Increase” last week. Not only is this legislation a responsible step considering the fiscal shortfall the Legislature faces, along with the lack of a long-term fiscal plan as we craft the FY2024 budget, but SB 111 also eliminates the conflict of interest problem the current Legislature faces in passively accepting the salary increase recommendation.
As a bit of a background, Senate Bill 86 was introduced on February 24, 2023, to block the first round of increased compensation recommendations by the Alaska State Officers Compensation Commission (ASOCC). This report recommended increasing department heads’ and governor’s salaries by 20%. The bill passed the Senate on February 27, 2023, and the House on March 6. SB 86 was subsequently vetoed by Governor Dunleavy on March 22, after he appointed new members to the ASOCC who met and amended the first report to include compensation increases for legislators.
The ASOCC Amended Final Findings and Recommendation dated March 25, unless rejected by the Legislature, provides each legislator with a 67% pay increase. This increase equates to $33,600 per legislator, a total of $2,016,000 annually for 60 legislators. Combined with the current salary and per diem, that is $7,250,400 per year excluding benefits.
This raise is being recommended in the midst of the spring revenue forecast which predicts a $925 million deficit for the current year and next. It is also occurring when schools are requesting a large funding increase; when we need to ensure snowplow driver and other state worker vacancies can be filled; and when seniors on fixed incomes and families are asking about their PFDs in lieu of high inflation, expensive groceries, and increased housing costs. Under the current circumstances, the Legislature should reject the large pay increase.
SB 111 provides for the rejection of the ASOCC March 25 amended report regardless of the 60-day time limit. The legislation also offers an optional pay schedule for legislators for the current salary by allowing its disbursement over the first five months of the calendar year during the legislative session as an alternative to disbursement over 12 months. I included this provision in order to make it easier for Alaskans of working age to serve in the Legislature. If a legislator concluded service prior to the end of a calendar year, the individual or the estate of the individual would be indebted to the state on a pro rata basis.
“Not only is the Compensation Commission process flawed and fraught with conflict-of-interest issues due to legislators having the power to give themselves a raise by passively accepting the report, but such a large raise when we have a tremendous shortfall is unwarranted in this fiscal climate. We need to concentrate this session on putting the people’s fiscal house in order and making sure we start getting the most bang for our public buck when it comes to our schools and student learning.”
– Senator Shelley Hughes’ statement to media on SB 111
My bill was read across the floor on Wednesday at which time it was referred to the Senate Finance Committee. At present, based on the actions on the floor on the same day, it appears that this committee supports the pay raises and likely has little interest in considering the legislation.
How did I come to that conclusion? The House Speaker had sent a letter on Tuesday to the Senate President inviting the Senate to a joint session Wednesday afternoon for the purpose of voting to override the veto of SB 86.
On Wednesday morning, the Senate President officially turned down the invitation.
During the floor session that same morning, I then moved to adopt the following Sense of the Senate which the Senate failed to do:
Sense of the Senate Sponsored by Senator Shelley Hughes
It is the sense of the Senate that the Senate disapproves of the pay increases recommended by the State Officers Compensation Commission that were included in the bill that passed the Senate on February 27th. This bill was subsequently vetoed by the governor on March 20th.
In addition, the Senate finds that the process undertaken by the State Officers’ Compensation Commission was flawed in adopting an amendment to their original report, and with the spring revenue forecasts predicting a deficit of over $900 million for this and the next fiscal year, pay raises are not justified nor warranted.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
Following the failed adoption of my Sense of the Senate disapproving of the legislator pay raises and the process, Senator Myers made another attempt for the override vote. He moved to accept the House invitation for a joint session. His motion was blocked by a vote upholding the ruling of the chair by the Senate Majority, 2 nays to 17 yeas.
We did not have the numbers on Wednesday, but we will not stop fighting for common sense policy. As it turns out, there remains interest in the House to introduce a bill on this topic.
One final note on the issues of pay raises. We must address the clear flaw in the ASOCC and salary recommendation process in general. As it stands, the process creates a direct conflict of interest for sitting legislators despite the fact that an acceptance of a salary increase is passive and does not require an actual vote on the floor by legislators. Salary increases by the ASOCC should be for future legislators not current legislators or the process should be changed to remove the legislature entirely from the salary decision-making process.
The views expressed here are those of the author.
21 Comments
It sounds like Juneau is getting to be like the school district, neither deserve a pay raise but will get one because of GREED. No Alaskan can just say I think I need 67% pay raise and get it but you clowns think money grows on trees and it’s spring. We can all in a few weeks start picking leaves and call it money and say we got a raise. You can only bleed so much blood our of a turnip. The Alaskan turnips are bleed dry. People are begging for a full PFD just to try to keep floating. You democrats and RINO’s just keep tye idea that we’re made out of money and because you want it we need to give it to you. We’ll let me say, your like the school’s. You do nothing and expect a raise for it. I say NO! Do something for the people. Show you can do the job not just sit for weeks to start but can’t find anyone to run the shit show in Juneau. Prove to the people you are worthy. Prove you can do the job not just collect the money. Your getting like tax collectors from the pesents of old castle days in England. No you don’t get a pay raise. And don’t be trying to change things like Walker did to get your way. As I can see you RINO’s, we’d be better off with nobody representing us than have you sitting in power. Your untrusted and NOT doing the job we sent you down to do and now this crap just proves my point.
Well spoken
It must be hard for our “citizen legislator” to live off of 87K dollars for 121 days in Juneau (wages plus per diem) or around $720 per day for housing, meals and some type of entertainment (beer pong/leg wrestling anyone?).
67% increase on top the per diem??? Ludicrous, absolutely ludicrous for these people as they rarely ever finish their work in the allotted time, constant in-fighting over the budget and PFD. All this accomplishes is making Legislators for life. With that maybe someone with a little integrity can introduce a bill for term limits. Lets say 10 years max for representatives, 12 years for senators with the additional provision for when the respective terms are up they can’t run for the other office, ie rep to senator to total 22 years and vice versa.
Disingenuous
Clearly! this is why I hate RINOS and democrat politicians….there is not an ethical bone in their bodies!
A bunch of immoral, pagan, drunks who slurp at the government trough….at the expense of middle class Alaskans who are working trying to survive and feed their families and are falling behind because of this outrageous Biden inflation…..and Mary Peltola can go pound sand for opposing “parental rights’ as a threat to ‘children’……this is what rank choice voting did for Alaskans. Is there 1? politician in Juneau who
is honest and God-Fearing and cares about the public who voted for them? Nita Young…Kenai, Alaska
Well Dumlevy fired the old board and inserted his posse to approve the raise. More good ole boys networking, or typical repub bs. Don’t forget about the new sales tax!
Right on! give them a pay raise to do less than they are now.
Thank you for trying to stop this pay raise Rep. Hughes. Taking more of the PFD from the People; then tyring to push a pay raise for legislation at this time when our banks are failing, prices of food, fuel, goods are increasing for everyone, people losing their jobs sure shows where the little people stand in all of this.
Here is a good video discussion about the war against humanity with Atty Todd Callender, Researcher Katherine Watt and SGT Report. It is going to get worse before it gets better. https://rumble.com/v2f3qty-k-i-l-l-b-o-x-todd-callender-and-katherine-watt.html
I believe we’re headed for a depression. Hope I’m wrong.
Kathy, we are in a depression. The O’biden regime has done a good job of hiding it. But, the banks are going to drop out from under their feet any day now. Have your money invested in physical things, precious metals, etc. because any money in the bank is going to be of zero value. When they bring in their CBDC system, we need to refuse to participate and get our own bartering/buying systems using precious metals/crypto going, so that we can survive while the banking system completely fails.
I think Senator Hughes comment pretty much sums it up. The massive amount is nonsensical. At a time when we as a State need representation and leadership that will move us forward as an independent State, from Federal influence and dependence as Florida has done, we have a legislative body that can’t agree to address any important issues at hand for the Alaskan people.
They need a raise for that don’t you know.
They all seem to eat from the same trough .
Hum…. I wonder if this is a distraction created by the Governor to slide something else through.
Carbon crap
That was my thought – like a payoff of sorts.
Ms hughes
Make a promise that you will not take the money! We all know your effort to write a bill looks good and will give you political capital! Make the promise and keep it!!!
How is it possible that more and more problems are allowed to continue and few viable solutions are produced? Money & politics = ‘government’
If they are complaining, or concerned about the costs of living in Juneau ( not really), why aren’t they pushing to move their offices out of Juneau, and up here where they can be a little more easily contacted .. Personally ?.. I know.. a dumb question.
Thank you for your efforts Senator Hughes.