NY Lawmakers to Vote on Bill that would make them the Highest Paid in the Country

By Yehudit Garmaise

New York state legislators introduced a bill on Monday night that will raise their annual earnings from $110,000 to $142,000, making NY’s legislature the highest-paid in the country, NY State of Politics reported.

Members of the California state legislature, who earn more than $114,000, currently rank as the highest-paid legislators in the US.

NY lawmakers have earned $110,000 since 2018, which was their first pay raise after jumping to $79,000 in 1999.

Democrats, who dominate the NY legislature, say the $32,000 raise aligns with the state’s high cost of living and national inflation, but NY Republicans, through robocalls and digital ads, have blasted the Democrats’ calls for increased salaries.

State Sen. Simcha Felder said that the pay raises are necessary so that the best candidates will continue to pursue public service at the state level. “Public servants need to be paid enough to attract experienced and dedicated professionals,” Sen. Felder told BoroPark24.

"I believe they deserve a pay raise,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has shown her support for the legislature’s pay raise that she would have to approve. “They've worked extraordinarily hard.” 

Starting in 2025, the pay-raise measure also would limit lawmakers’ freedom to earn outside incomes, except for pensions and investment income. 

Although many legislators retain the jobs, such as owning businesses or working for law firms, they held before they were elected, good-government groups in NY raised concerns.

On Thursday, the NY Senate and Assembly will vote on their new salary, which will, if passed, take effect on Jan. 1. 

photo credit: Flickr