Imagine a part-time job that gives you full-time and lifetime health insurance benefits, the ability to earn a pension, travel money and additional money for expenses that you don’t have to prove you incurred.
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Imagine a part-time job that gives you full-time and lifetime health insurance benefits, the ability to earn a pension, travel money and additional money for expenses that you don't have to prove you incurred.
Sound like your kind of job? Then you should run for the Connecticut General Assembly.
Recently, Roy Occhiogrosso, a political consultant, wrote on the need to raise the pay of Connecticut's legislators. Mr. Occhiogrosso correctly states that the starting salary for a legislator is $28,000 per year (leadership make higher pay).
Unfortunately, Mr. Occhiogrosso doesn't take into account the $5,500 each Senator receives and $4,500 each House member receives for expense reimbursement that requires no proof of the expense having been incurred, the mileage reimbursement that each legislator receives (even when they carpool with another legislator), the medical and dental benefits they receive, as well as the ability to earn a pension and lifetime health insurance benefits.
All and all, not too shabby for a part-time job.
In addition, Section 2-3a of the Connecticut General Statutes protects legislators who choose to work for a private employer from being disciplined by an employer for missing work because of their legislative duties (employers are not required to pay the legislator for time missed but they cannot be terminated).
Although Connecticut has a “citizen legislature,” many legislators choose to make the job of “legislator” their full-time employment, knowing full well the compensation structure that exists for this position.
Some are also full-time employees of the state employee unions that are subject to the budget and laws that are voted on by the same legislators. (See the Speaker of the House).
The base salary of $28,000/year puts Connecticut in the top half of all legislature pay in the country and, once you take into account the add-ons, perks and other compensation, Connecticut legislators quickly move up the pay list.
Having said all that, I agree with Mr. Occhiogrosso that Connecticut legislators' pay should increase. It has been over 15 years since lawmakers have received a pay hike. I would suggest, however, that any pay increase should come with changes to both the makeup and compensation structure of the legislature.
First, we should maintain a part-time legislature. Any lawmaker who chooses to make being a legislator a full-time career has no understanding of what the rest of Connecticut's working women and men go through every day.
Legislators should hold outside employment and our ethics laws should be modified to take into account any conflict of interests that may arise from that outside employment, including employment with a state employee union.
Second, as this is a part-time, public-service position, legislators should not be eligible for health insurance benefits.
Third, eliminate mileage reimbursements. The increase in pay should cover the cost to get to and from Hartford. A legislator should not be entitled to something working men and women aren't entitled to receive.
Fourth, legislators should not be eligible for a pension or lifetime medical benefits. This is public service, not a career.
Fifth, and most importantly, we must impose term limits. There are presently legislators serving who were elected in the 1980s. I would suggest term limits of five terms for legislators and two terms for governor and other statewide officer holders. This would allow for an appropriate turnover of members while allowing members the opportunity to spend an appropriate period of time serving the public.
There is, of course, another option. We could simply go back to the original terms of the Constitution of 1965 and have the legislature only meet from January to early June in odd-numbered years and leave the state Capitol empty in the even-numbered years.
Imagine how much money we could save if we didn't have to pay the cost of the legislature for one full year every two years, not to mention fewer laws that only burden rather than help our state.
Benjamin Proto is a Stratford-based attorney and former counsel and chief counsel to the Connecticut House Republican Caucus.
