State lawmakers revive plan to raise their pay
Legislative leaders have revived a controversial proposal to give themselves and other state officials a sizable raise at a time when Massachusetts faces persistent budget gaps, and most residents wages are growing relatively slowly.
State lawmakers said they would hold a hearing on the issue Thursday, a sign that pay raises could be gaining traction more than two years after an advisory commission recommended dramatic salary increases for state officials and top lawmakers. The proposal would cost the state about $934,000 annually.
Lawmakers in the tightly controlled Legislature would be unlikely to schedule a hearing on the issue and risk a backlash unless they had some intent to move forward with the plan.
The announcement was made by House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg, whose pay would jump more than 70 percent, from $102,279 to $175,000, if the commissions recommendations are passed into law.
Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/17/lawmakers-revive-pay-hike-plan/oBwRu4KSAmBPPX2IODINAK/story.html