A Legislative Pay Raise? Really?

Every state employee with whom I have regular contact is worried they may not have jobs due to budget cuts at the end of the legislative session, but a raise for the Legislators? No problem.

From DNews:

SALT LAKE CITY — The Executive Appropriations Committee accepted a report from the Legislative Compensation Commission that lawmakers' salaries be increased, starting with the 2011 Legislature, from $117 a day to $130 a day.

It is unclear if lawmakers will accept the raise, which is automatic unless they act in the 2010 session to stop it. Legislators have already cut their own pay by 10 percent this year.

They did that because of budget constraints and the fact that most state employees didn't get a pay raise in 2009 and may not get one in 2010, either.