With benefits, Pa. lawmakers could be second best compensated in nation
The base salary of Pennsylvania’s 253 state legislators is the third highest in the nation behind New York and California, but when benefits are added, it likely pushes them into second place.
Legislators are eligible for lifetime medical benefits and retirement benefits unlike their counterparts in California but still trail New York where lawmakers there have a similar benefits package to Pennsylvania’s.
On Friday, Pennsylvania lawmakers’ compensation package will get a boost when a 3.5% pay raise appears in their monthly paychecks.
That increase means the base pay will jump by nearly $300 to $8,869 monthly. Over the next year, the base salary for most legislators rises to $106,422, from $102,844.
The executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a government watchdog group, doesn’t quibble with legislatiors’ pay. Philip Hensley-Robin said the jobs are important and his organization favors having a full-time state legislature and paying them for full-time work.
But Nathan Benefield, senior vice president at the conservative Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg, questions how “full time” it is for some lawmakers, which he sees as a problem with the legislative compensation system.
“Although it’s supposedly a full-time job, a lot of them have side jobs so it’s full-time in name only. I think that’s an issue,” he said. “For some, it’s a way to get rich off the taxpayer.”
Pennsylvania’s base legislative salary is less than that of New York where lawmakers are paid $142,000. It also is less than California’s $122,694 base pay. Those states are among 10 that have full-time legislatures.
When it comes to the rest of the compensation package, California can’t compete with Pennsylvania. Both states pay lawmakers a mileage reimbursement and per diems to cover lodging and meals while on legislative business. But without providing health benefits, Pennsylvania lawmakers’ compensation begins to close the salary gap with California’s 120 lawmakers.
In addition, California lawmakers elected after 1990 also aren’t eligible for a taxpayer-provided pension either, according to Michael C Genest, a former California
director of finance who served under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
New York’s 213 lawmakers receive per diems and mileage as well. Their health benefits package is the same as the one offered to all state government employees. But because lawmakers salaries are higher than the typical state worker, they contribute a higher percentage (16% ) of their salary toward health benefits, according to a spokesperson for the New York Assembly’s human resources office.
New York state lawmakers are eligible to participate in a traditional defined benefit plan and most do, said Jennifer Freeman, a spokeswoman for New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Lawmakers are eligible for post-retirement benefits after 10 years of eligible governmental service, according to the Assembly’s human resources office spokesman.
In Pennsylvania, lawmakers who took office before March 2019 had the option of a defined benefit plan that was even more lucrative than the typical commonwealth employee. Legislators seated more recently are eligible for the same hybrid pension plan or 401(k)-style plan as other state employees.
Common Cause’s Hensley-Robin said the more generous pension that lawmakers voted for themselves in 2001 is where a red flag could be raised for some.
“It can be an issue for voters when state legislators have benefits that aren’t available to anybody else in state government.,” he said. “It raises, understandably and reasonably, concerns about legislator voting themselves special benefits and giving themselves special treatment.”
Pennsylvania lawmakers’ health benefits contribution is 1% of their salary, or $1,064 for a comprehensive plan that covers themselves, their spouse and their children up to age 26.
The 2023 KFF employer health benefits survey reports that on average, private sector employees contributed $1,401 for single coverage and $6,575 for family coverage.
The health benefits don’t stop when they leave the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Lawmakers also are eligible for lifetime health benefits if they stick around long enough.
Members of the state House are eligible to receive lifetime benefits for themselves, their spouse and children up to age 26 if they completed at least 10 years of credited state government service by the time they turn 50 or at least 10 years as a House member if they are younger than 50, according to House comptroller Jennifer Benko.
The amount former House members pay for post-retirement health benefits is no more than 1% of the maximum pension benefit they are eligible to receive if they participate in the state pension system, or no more than 1% of their final year’s salary if they aren’t in the pension system, Benko said.
Those who took office before March 2016 also get long-term care insurance for themselves and their spouse as part of their post-employment benefit package. That benefit is no longer available.
Senators’ benefits are nearly identical to those in the House, except the retiree health and long-term care benefits require completing eight years of service. The contribution toward health benefits is also 1% of the salary while in office and 1% of the final year’s salary, according to Michael Sarfert of the Senate Chief Clerk’s office.
Putting Pennsylvania’s legislative compensation in context:
Nationally, the average pay for the 10 states with full-time legislatures was $77,482 in 2022, according to the most recent data available from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Pennsylvania pays the presiding officers of its legislative chambers better than California. Pennsylvania’s Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, and House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, will earn $166,132 in the coming year. California’s Assembly speaker and president pro tempore are paid $141,097, as of last December, according to California Citizens Compensation Commission. New York pays its Assembly speaker and Senate majority leader, a $41,500 leadership stipend in addition to the base salary, bumping their pay up to $183,500, according to a New York Assembly official and a New York media report.
Sixty-two Pennsylvania House Republicans recently voted against the cost-of-living adjustment for pre-2001 retirees’ pensions who accepted last year’s largest pay raise given in over a quarter of a century. The only exception was Rep.
Timothy Bonner, R-Mercer and Butler counties, who opposed the COLA bill and who returned money to the state Treasury. According to Treasury records as of last week, he returned $4,800 on May 9 and an identical amount on Nov. 21.
Besides Bonner, the only other lawmakers who Treasury records show returned money since the pay raise took effect last December were Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin County, who returned $11,208 on Dec. 20; Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York County, who returned $6,520 on
Dec.6; and Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Fayette County, who returned $253.29 on Dec. 6.
Observers point out that even those who return money to Treasury or say they are giving their raise to charities still benefit from a bounce in their pension benefits if they participate in the state pension system.
While lawmakers say their job requires a 24/7 schedule, some observers look only to the number of days the House and Senate actually met to vote on legislation. Over the past 11 months, the voting session days for both chambers was fewer than 50.
Three more days are scheduled in December before they take off for a holiday break and return in 2024.
Bills that were signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro so far this year total 43 (including the 11 bills that enacted portions of the budget, parts of which still remain unfinished). For comparison, his predecessor Gov. Tom Wolf signed 79 bills (including nine budget-related ones) by Dec. 1, 2015, his first year in office.