House Passes 10% Pay Cut for Elected Officials

Plan Part of Effort To Hold Lawmakers Accountable, Reform Government

April 1, 2009       Leave A Comment
By: MyBayCity Staff

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State Representatives Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) and Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City) have voted to approve a 10 percent cut in the salaries of Michigan's lawmakers and other elected officials.

"As our entire state struggles, lawmakers need to do their part," Brown said. "We all know that Michigan faces some of the toughest economic times in decades. These pay cuts will help save money and allow us to put resources toward what really matters, getting our hard-working Michigan residents back on the job."

The House was the first to call for the pay cut back in February, by approving a resolution that called on the State Officers Compensation Commission (SOCC), the body in charge of determining legislator salaries, to decrease lawmakers' salaries by 10 percent, as well as the salaries of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State. Earlier this month the SOCC voted to recommend a 10 percent pay cut for elected officials. The SOCC's recommendation went before the House and Senate for a full vote and was passed by each chamber to make it official.

As part of their commitment to reforming government, the House recently passed a plan that will:

· Dock lawmakers' pay each time they miss a day of session with an unexcused absence.

· Prohibit legislators from becoming lobbyists for two years after leaving office, effectively ending the revolving door between lawmakers and lobbying firms.

· Require certain state officials and candidates for elected office to disclose their personal finances to the Bureau of Elections.

After approving the pay cut, Mayes called on the Senate to act quickly on these additional reforms.

"I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for sharing in the sacrifices residents across Michigan are making every day," Mayes said. "Now, we must move swiftly on this plan to reform government and make it more accountable. I urge the Senate to take up these much-needed reforms that will make state government more open and transparent for the people of Michigan.

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