By
News 5
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Published: Fri, March 09, 2007 - 11:03 am
Do Alabama legislators deserve a pay raise-
That's the question a lot of people in Mobile are asking following a vote by legislators.
The state House and Senate approved a resolution increasing their annual compensation 60 percent from $30,710 a year to $49,500 a year.
State Senator Ben Brooks of Mobile says he doesn't support the raise.
Brooks said, "My information is that the salary and compensation level of the legislators right now is about in the middle of the pack in the country, that's the information I've been given. And that being the case, my decision, for me, was that I did not feel it was warranted."
The legislature approved the increase on a voice vote, meaning there's no record of how individual House and Senate members voted.
Brooks believes there should have been a roll call vote.
Brooks said, "I just think particularly on this kind of an issue, on a matter that is of serious concern to the public, whether you are for it or against it, the people who elect us ought to know how their legislators voted."
Republican State Representative Joe Faust of Fairhope says he thinks a pay raise for legislators is needed, in part to encourage diversity.
Faust said, "I think that if we're going to encourage younger people, they don't want old people like me to be here forever. They need some young blood up there. And all it is, is rich people, retired people and some young people that are little bit more lucrative than some of us, can afford to be up there."
The annual regular legislative session in Alabama consists of 30 working days over 105 calendar days.
Simple math would show a salary of $49,500 dollars would mean legislators get paid $1650 per working day.
But lawmakers say they do a lot of legislative work for their constituents during the year even when they're not actually meeting.
Is the pay raise a done deal-
Republican Governor Bob Riley says he will veto the resolution.
However, there may be enough legislators in favor of the pay raise to override the governor's veto.
There's also some question as to whether the legislature would have to conduct roll call votes for the override.
If it's done on a voice vote, once again, there would be no record of how individual members voted.
That's the question a lot of people in Mobile are asking following a vote by legislators.
The state House and Senate approved a resolution increasing their annual compensation 60 percent from $30,710 a year to $49,500 a year.
State Senator Ben Brooks of Mobile says he doesn't support the raise.
Brooks said, "My information is that the salary and compensation level of the legislators right now is about in the middle of the pack in the country, that's the information I've been given. And that being the case, my decision, for me, was that I did not feel it was warranted."
The legislature approved the increase on a voice vote, meaning there's no record of how individual House and Senate members voted.
Brooks believes there should have been a roll call vote.
Brooks said, "I just think particularly on this kind of an issue, on a matter that is of serious concern to the public, whether you are for it or against it, the people who elect us ought to know how their legislators voted."
Republican State Representative Joe Faust of Fairhope says he thinks a pay raise for legislators is needed, in part to encourage diversity.
Faust said, "I think that if we're going to encourage younger people, they don't want old people like me to be here forever. They need some young blood up there. And all it is, is rich people, retired people and some young people that are little bit more lucrative than some of us, can afford to be up there."
The annual regular legislative session in Alabama consists of 30 working days over 105 calendar days.
Simple math would show a salary of $49,500 dollars would mean legislators get paid $1650 per working day.
But lawmakers say they do a lot of legislative work for their constituents during the year even when they're not actually meeting.
Is the pay raise a done deal-
Republican Governor Bob Riley says he will veto the resolution.
However, there may be enough legislators in favor of the pay raise to override the governor's veto.
There's also some question as to whether the legislature would have to conduct roll call votes for the override.
If it's done on a voice vote, once again, there would be no record of how individual members voted.
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