Bill might raise legislators' pay

Some state legislators want more money to do their jobs, even as the state tries to head off a $1.3 billion deficit.

A bill filed in the N.C. Senate would increase senators’ annual pay from $14,000 to $25,000. The General Assembly last approved an increase more than a decade ago.

Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, said salaries should be increased because of the numerous obligations legislators are required to fulfill. Even though the position is considered part time, it is difficult for senators to maintain another job, she said.

“It’s a lot more than 40 hours (per week). … Every day there are meetings or events to attend,” she said. “It is very difficult to try to make a living on this amount of pay.”

Kinnaird added that legislators with young children sometimes find it difficult to provide for their families from their current salaries.

Sen. Austin Allran, R-Catawba, said a higher salary is well-deserved after more than 10 years of static pay for legislative positions.

“It’s a joke to pretend that it’s a part-time job,” said Allran, adding that he has sometimes worked as many as 13 hours in one day.

“I never got into this for the money,” he said.

Now in his tenth term in the Senate, Allran practices law to make a living when the General Assembly is not in session.

But Roy Cordato, vice president for research at the John Locke Foundation, said legislators should not request an increase while others are asked to tighten their belts. “They should step up to the plate and give themselves a pay cut,” he said.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, North Carolina ranks in the middle of states in terms of legislative time commitment and amount of pay.

California and Michigan elect full-time legislators, who receive salaries of about $70,000 a year. Smaller states, like New Hampshire, have traditional citizen legislatures with low-paid members.

The Tennessee legislature passed a bill last year to allow for legislative pay increases.

“What we did was tie our pay raises to the pay raises of state employees,” said Tenn. Sen. Jim Kyle.

Allran said that Tennessee’s system is a reasonable one and that he would support a similar measure for N.C. legislators, though he has not officially called for such legislation.

But voters might not be as supportive of a pay increase. Daniel Gitterman, UNC professor of public policy, said increasing legislators’ salaries is one of the most difficult things for them to do.

“Those things are easier to do in good economic times,” he said.

Still, Allran has faith that constituents would understand the need. “If it was presented honestly, the public would probably be sympathetic.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.