House Rejects Raise; Senate Won’t

The Idaho House voted unanimously today to reject a small pay increase, but the Senate isn’t likely to go along.

Legislative leaders argued that when their goal is to cut government spending, it would be wrong for legislators to accept an increase of $360 in base pay, along with a $5 boost in the per-day expense allowance for lawmakers who do not live in Ada County.

The Senate already has declared it will not go along with the House, which means the pay and expense increase will remain in effect for the rest of the current legislative terms, which end in December of 1996.

The overall increase will cost about $80,000 per year, and Democratic leader Jim Stoicheff of Sandpoint and GOP floor leader Bruce Newcomb of Burley both argued the money can be better used to operate state agencies and programs.

With expense allowances and the base $12,000 per year salary, Newcomb said lawmakers get $17,000 per year for part-time work, while the state per-capita income is only $18,411.

Stoicheff said that two years from now it might be proper for lawmakers to accept a small raise.

“The per-diem is adequate now and we can get by without that $1 per day,” he said.