Panel eyes pay raise for lawmakers

ALBANY — As a commission considers whether state lawmakers deserve their first pay raise since 1999, the panel might also look into whether reforms are needed in the stipends awarded to individual legislators.

The base salary of state lawmakers is $79,500, the third highest among state legislatures in the nation, behind only California ($107,240) and Pennsylvania ($87,189).

But the overwhelming majority of state lawmakers in New York also receive stipends for chairing committees, serving as minority ranking committee members, or holding leadership positions that can range from $9,000 to the $41,500 given to the legislative leaders.

Critics have long argued the stipends are used by legislative leaders to buy loyalty from their members.

According to the state pay raise commission, 160 of the 213 state legislators receive some kind of stipend that boosts their pay.

By comparison, just 15 of Pennsylvania’s 253 state lawmakers receive stipends while in California, just four of 120 do, the commission revealed.

In New York City, stipends were eliminated in 2016 when council pay was raised to $148,500, up from $112,500. Also as part of the raise, the city banned most outside income for council members, something that is under consideration at the state level.

The state pay raise commission, which is made up of state Controller Thomas DiNapoli, former state Controller Carl McCall, City Controller Scott Stringer, and former City Controller Bill Thompson, outlined the pay and stipend differences of state lawmakers and those in other states on Wednesday morning at the first of two public hearings set for this week.

Just four people spoke at the hearing, including Blair Horner, of the New York Public Interest Research Group, and progressive activist Mark Dunlea.