House approves governor, legislator pay commission

Rep. Mike Doogan's bill to create a standing commission that would make binding recommendations for changes to the pay rates of lawmakers and senior state officials passed the House on a 28-7 vote Feb. 6. House Bill 260 was held on the floor until Friday by Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak, for reconsideration.

The bill creates a five-member commission that is required to make recommendations on the salary, benefits and other allowances of the governor, lieutenant governor, department commissioners and legislators. Commission members would be appointed by the governor and not subject to legislative confirmation, but the House speaker and Senate president each would submit lists of at least two names from which the governor would choose for two of the seats.

Commission members would serve four-year terms and could serve more than two consecutive terms.

The panel's recommendations would be due before the Legislature by the 10th day of a session. Recommendations would take effect unless they were rejected by passage of a bill within 60 days. Changes to lawmaker pay would take effect on the first day of the next regular session and for executive branch officials at the start of the next fiscal year.

The commission would be required to make a recommendation at least every two years but no more than once a year.

The bill removes the specific pay rates for those officials from existing law and Doogan, D-Anchorage, noted that the commission would be free to lower as well as raise pay rates. He and others warned during House floor debate that the new agency might well decide to cut legislative pay.

Stoltze said the bill gives control of legislative pay to an unelected "microcosm that may not be representative" of the House or Senate.

Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, said he supported the bill "with some trepidation" because it requires passage of a bill as opposed to a resolution to change the commission's recommendations. He added it still leaves the problem of whether the state has a citizen or professional legislature.

Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, suggested the bill would help maintain a citizen legislature.

Those voting with Stoltze against the bill included Republicans Mike Chenault, Mike Hawker, Wes Keller, Mike Kelly, Mark Neuman and Jay Ramras.