Big salary boost poses dilemma for some state lawmakers
It's a situation created Monday night with publication of the final report by a state pay hike commission that gives lawmakers a 64 percent raise over the next two years but also restricts, and in some cases bans, outside income.
"It's reflective of an attitude which is elitist and doesn't appreciate the fact that there's a value to individuals with real world experience working in government," said Sen.
Ranzenhofer is one of those lawmakers who, at some point in the coming year, unless something creative happens, faces the prospect of having to quit his own law firm if he wants to stay in the
On Tuesday, the senator was deriding the work of the four-person pay panel, which was composed of longtime Democratic Party insiders that awarded the pay hikes to the now-Democratic run Legislature and the Democratic-controlled statewide office holders, including Gov.
Some were privately wondering whether this wasn't part of a plan to drive more
"This is a panel made up of four
Ranzenhofer is a partner in a
Is he quitting his outside job? "That I don't know, but my plan is to fill out the term to which I was just elected," said Ranzenhofer, whose next term starts
Outside income restrictions, bans
The pay panel borrowed from a
But the panel went further with some occupations: It banned outside income outright from jobs that have a "fiduciary" responsibility to a person or firm. That would cover an assortment of jobs, including lawyers, insurance executives, accountants, many financial sector jobs and, in the case of one
Assemblyman
"It's absolutely a possibility," Goodell said when asked if he might take the matter to court. If he doesn't, it's likely someone else will in a challenge likely to focus on the ability of an unelected panel to essentially create laws.
The pay panel also sharply boosted the pay of statewide elected officials -- Gov.
"From my perspective, the state Legislature throughout the history of
"So, those unemployed other than their legislative position with no business background or private sector employment would be eligible to serve and everyone who's a successful business person and who understands the challenge of operating in the private sector would be banned from serving unless they give up their businesses," Goodell said.
Political protection for raises?
The panel's recommendations -- for pay levels, outside income restrictions and the dropping of many stipends for legislative committee and leadership posts -- become binding on
"I think the legislators need a pay raise," Cuomo told a public radio station this week. He said the new pay levels will allow lawmakers to better make ends meet and "not be a martyr."
Regarding his own big pay hike, Cuomo said, "I'm not doing this about the money." He said state agency commissioners need a pay boost because he is having a "real problem" attracting talented people to the lesser paid state government.
Cuomo said the hand-wringing over the pay panel's legal authority can be easily solved by lawmakers in 2019 when, he said, they could put into statute the outside income and stipend plans advanced by the pay commission. If it also decided to pass a separate pay increase change in law, the Legislature would have to delay seeing higher paychecks until 2021 because of language forbidding lawmakers from raising their pay during a current, two-year term.
The panel's members were
One theory: Imposing stronger outside income restrictions will force some
Sen.
"I think having members who have work experiences outside government provides us with an important 'real world' perspective and makes us a better legislative body. I really think full transparency on any outside income is where we should be focusing," Jacobs wrote.
A number of other lawmakers,
But others face real dilemmas. Republican Assemblyman
Assemblyman
Hawley said he views his legislative job as an "avocation" but that he has invested much in his insurance business, which has nine employees in downtown
"I have an occupation, and folks that work for me and our clients depend on me for quality service. If push came to shove, I'd have to relent and not continue as an assemblyman," Hawley said if the situation does not change in 2019 and he is forced to choose between the two jobs.
Outgoing Senate Majority Leader
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