Voters won't weigh in on legislative salaries for fifth straight election
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Legislative pay raises have historically been a tough sell to the public, but this year's election will mark a decade since Arizona voters even had a chance to weigh in on the hikes.
The big picture: State lawmakers make $24,000 a year, and that hasn't changed since voters took the rare step of giving them a raise in 1998.
- Adjusted for inflation, that's worth about only half what it was in the late '90s.
- Lawmakers also get per-diem payments for travel, lodging and subsistence, with legislators from outside Maricopa County making substantially more than their Phoenix-area counterparts.
- Maricopa County lawmakers averaged $5,700 in per diem last year, compared with $45,500 for those outside the Valley, according to an Arizona Mirror analysis.
Why it matters: The low salary limits the ability to serve in the Legislature.
- In theory, Arizona has a part-time Legislature, but in reality, lawmakers often spend half the year in session, not counting off-session responsibilities.
- Sen. Brian Fernandez, D-Yuma, told Axios it's difficult to hold a regular job while serving in the Legislature, leaving many seats to those who are self-employed, retired or wealthy.
- Small-business owner and former Republican Rep. Warde Nichols, who served from 2003 to 2010, said he lost money every year in the Legislature because of the time away from work.
State of play: The Arizona Constitution tasks the Commission on Salaries for Elective State Officers with referring proposed legislative pay raises to the ballot, but it hasn't had a full contingent in years.
- The governor appoints two of the five members, and the House speaker, Senate president and Arizona Supreme Court chief justice each appoint one.
- Gov. Katie Hobbs hasn't made her appointments, nor did former Chief Justice Robert Brutinel.
- The House and Senate appointees are holdovers from previous administrations.
Zoom in: Nichols, appointed by the Senate president in 2017, said the commission hasn't met since he's been a member.
- He'd like the commission to meet and believes lawmakers' salaries should go up, suggesting $65,000 to $70,000.
Yes, but: Voters have rarely shown a willingness to increase legislators' salaries.
- Nineteen pay raises were on the ballot from 1968 to 2014, but only three were approved.
- In 2014, 68% of voters rejected a proposed $35,000 salary.
- "I don't think it will pass ever again," Nichols told Axios.
By the numbers: Prior to the last pay bump, lawmakers made $15,000 a year, a salary voters approved in 1980.
The latest: Rep. Stacey Travers, D-Phoenix, sponsored a proposed ballot referral to increase salaries to $35,000 starting in 2027, with inflation adjustments every two years. Rep. Chris Mathis (D-Tucson) sponsored a ballot measure that would empower the Legislature to determine lawmakers' salaries.
- Neither proposal made any progress this session.