Sen. Steve Hershey and two delegates from the 36th District have signed onto a joint resolution to block a 16 percent pay hike for lawmakers that will automatically take effect unless the legislature votes to stop it.
“The majority party would rather not vote on this,” Hershey, R-Queen Anne’s, said in an email to the Spy. “The [Republican] caucus may consider a means to petition the bill out of Rules, but that will be met with resistance.”
The joint resolution, signed by 31 delegates and 12 senators, is languishing in the rules committees of both chambers and there is growing doubt that either chamber will see a floor vote in the Democrat controlled legislature by the time the curtain falls on the session on April 7.
The Maryland General Assembly Compensation Commission recommended increases of $6,830 phased in over the next four years, from $43,500 to $50,330. The increase would cost nearly $1.2 million by 2018, according the fiscal note.
The compensation commission makes salary recommendations every four years that take effect unless the legislature votes to modify or reject them. Legislators took an increase in 2006 but rejected an increase in 2010.
“Citizens of the state, and especially in my district, have been struggling just to pay their bills since the economic downturn began, and small businesses in the 36th are struggling to meet payrolls,” said Del. Jay Jacobs, R-Kent. “Additionally, the Maryland Comptroller has written down revenue estimates in the state by nearly $240 million. For all of these reasons I stand on my position to freeze the current salaries in the legislature.”
“To take a pay raise, when the taxpayers are once again seeing additional fees and taxes…would only add to this ongoing problem in our state,” said Del. Steve Arentz, R-Queen Anne’s. “Our budget has increased by over $9 billion in the last eight years. If you divide that by homes owned in the state, it is over $4,500 per home, per year. That is a staggering amount.”
Del. Mike Smigiel, R-Cecil, is the only member of the 36th Delegation not sign onto the joint resolution. He did not respond to a request from the Spy to state his position on the salary increase by the time this story ran.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.