Lawmakers to get 8.8% pay cut
The Oklahoma Legislative Compensation Board voted Thursday to cut lawmakers’ pay by 8.8 percent.
The vote was 4-3, with some board members who voted “no” speaking out in favor of even deeper cuts.
“I’m afraid I’ll be the hand grenade here,” said board member Christian Brim. “I would recommend a reduction of at least 50 percent.”
The 8.8 percent pay cuts are scheduled to take effect next year, following the election in November.
“Oklahomans right now, today, are frustrated with the state Legislature,” said board Chairman Wesley Milbourn. “Groups coming to the state Capitol protesting and holding signs. We’ve all seen it on the news. Those are the ones being affected and our job is to look out for Oklahomans and do what’s in the best interest for
“Oklahomans right now, today, are frustrated with the state Legislature.” Wesley Milbourn
the state of Oklahoma.”
Although Mibourn spoke of citizens’ frustrations, he stated after the vote that the decision to cut legislative pay was not intended to be punitive but was done with the intent to bring Oklahoma lawmakers’ pay and benefits more in line with those received by lawmakers in other nearby states.
Oklahoma lawmakers currently receive a base pay of $38,400 a year, so an 8.8 percent pay cut would reduce their annual pay to about $35,021. Legislative leaders are paid a little more on top of their base pay and the board voted to cut their extra pay by the same 8.8 percent.
Milbourn said the legislative pay cut will save the state about $500,000 a year.
Before the vote, board members listened to a salary comparison study compiled by the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
That comparison showed the annual pay Oklahoma lawmakers receive is the second highest in a seven-state region, behind only Arkansas lawmakers who are paid $39,400 a year. Oklahoma legislators are also the second-best compensated in the region when per diem payments are taken into consideration and adjustments are made to take into consideration the number of session days they serve in a year.
The pay cut sparked an immediate reaction from some lawmakers.
“Those legislators who are always looking for a free meal will likely be even more ‘ dependent’ on lobbyists,” state Rep. David Perryman, D-Chickasha, tweeted shortly after the vote.
Some blame Fallin
Some lawmakers appeared to blame the vote on Gov. Mary Fallin, who has openly criticized House members for their inability to push through tax increase measures to fill a $215 million budget hole. The governor appoints five of the nine board members, while the House speaker and Senate president pro tem
each appoint two.
House Speaker Charles McCall issued a statement saying that the legislative pay cut opens up the door to discuss cuts in executive branch pay.
“After all the recent news about corruption, mismanagement and waste in our executive branch agencies, I feel confident that those discussions about lowering and capping pay for agency and cabinet appointments will be taking place when the Legislature convenes in February,” he said.
McCall said he, personally, didn’t mind the pay cut, but warned it could have an adverse impact.
“Cutting compensation ensures that in the future many lowerincome but capable citizens won’t be able to run for the Legislature. Only those with financial means will have the opportunity to represent citizens at the Capitol,” said McCall, R-Atoka.
Gov. Fallin said she was “surprised” by the vote, but said she believes it “reflects the level of the public’s frustration.”
“There are many hardworking legislators who spend more than 40 hours a week outside of regular session representing their constituents,” Fallin said. “In many cases, they do so at the expense of lost compensation from their normal jobs and time away from their families.”
Members of the Legislative Compensation Board mentioned various reasons for supporting cuts.
Board member Andrew McDonald noted that Oklahoma ranked last in teacher pay while ranking high in the region in legislative pay. He suggested a legislative pay cut off 10 to 30 percent might bring more “equality” to the situation.
Brim pushed for deeper cuts.
“Structurally, I have a problem with this being the best job that many legislators financially will ever receive,” Brim said. “I think that promotes the wrong motivation sometimes to seek the job and I think it gives a natural desire to remain an incumbent.