For the second straight year, the citizens commission that sets salaries for California's constitutional officers and legislators has approved a bump in pay — with suggestions that those paychecks could be boosted even more in years to come.
The California Citizens Compensation Commission, created by a 1990 voter-approved initiative, on Friday afternoon boosted the pay of state lawmakers by 2 percent, effective in December. Last year, the panel raised lawmaker salaries by 5 percent as part of a restoration in pay that was cut in 2009 by 18 percent.
"I think it's very fair," said Scott Somers, a commission member. Somers proposed an even bigger boost in Friday's meeting, but found little support among the other members of the panel.
The decision means Gov. Jerry Brown's salary will go up to about $177,467, based on his existing salary. Attorney General Kamala Harris would see her annual pay rise to $154,149. Rank-and-file members of the California Legislature would see their salaries increase to $97,197.
The 2 percent boost was based, said commissioners, on the same-size salary increase slated for managers in the state workforce on July 1. The commission hearing, held in Sacramento, included a discussion of whether to ultimately link increases to inflation. At least two members of the commission also suggested a broader discussion next year of what the long-term base salary should be for state lawmakers.