Post by Logan on Mar 30, 2016 10:38:40 GMT -6
LePage bills would more than double next governor’s salary, slash size of Legislature
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage is proposing to more than double the salary of future Maine governors and significantly reduce the size of the Legislature in a package of two bills made public Tuesday.
The salary proposal would increase the pay of future governors from $70,000 to $150,000 a year. It also would increase legislators’ salaries by 25 percent if the Legislature agrees to reduce its membership in a separate bill, from 35 to 25 seats in the Senate and from 151 to 100 or fewer seats in the House of Representatives. Reducing the size of the Legislature would require amending the Maine Constitution and approval by voters.
Currently, Maine has the lowest paid governor in the nation, a fact LePage frequently repeats during his weekly town hall forums across the state. His bill would make the governor’s salary comparable with those of governors in Hawaii, Wisconsin and Vermont beginning in 2019, the year after he completes his second and final term.
Increasing gubernatorial compensation would be contingent upon lawmakers agreeing to reduce their own ranks – something they have not done despite multiple proposals introduced over the past several years.
Read more: www.pressherald.com/2016/03/29/lepage-submits-bill-to-increase-next-governors-salary-slash-size-of-legislature/
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage is proposing to more than double the salary of future Maine governors and significantly reduce the size of the Legislature in a package of two bills made public Tuesday.
The salary proposal would increase the pay of future governors from $70,000 to $150,000 a year. It also would increase legislators’ salaries by 25 percent if the Legislature agrees to reduce its membership in a separate bill, from 35 to 25 seats in the Senate and from 151 to 100 or fewer seats in the House of Representatives. Reducing the size of the Legislature would require amending the Maine Constitution and approval by voters.
Currently, Maine has the lowest paid governor in the nation, a fact LePage frequently repeats during his weekly town hall forums across the state. His bill would make the governor’s salary comparable with those of governors in Hawaii, Wisconsin and Vermont beginning in 2019, the year after he completes his second and final term.
Increasing gubernatorial compensation would be contingent upon lawmakers agreeing to reduce their own ranks – something they have not done despite multiple proposals introduced over the past several years.
Read more: www.pressherald.com/2016/03/29/lepage-submits-bill-to-increase-next-governors-salary-slash-size-of-legislature/