The House Appropriations Committee has stopped an effort to increase the annual salaries of state lawmakers from $16,800 to around $39,000.
The panel rejected the proposal on a 16-5 vote.
New Orleans Representative Jason Hughes voted against the bill.
“You know teachers deserve a pay raise,” Hughes said. “Our hardworking men and women in law enforcement certainly deserve a pay raise--state workers, and the list goes on.”
Hughes believes an independent commission should be established to determine the salary of legislators.
Gretna Representative Joe Marino led the effort to raise the pay of lawmakers. He says being a legislator is time consuming and that a higher salary would result in a larger pool of candidates running for office.
“The value of the pay is so low that only a small group of people have the privilege to run,” Marino said. “Then I’d like to open this up to representative government, and you can’t get there with $16,800.”
The salary for state legislators has not changed since 1980., but Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala says he ran for the House knowing the salary.
“I think confidence in government is important that people know that we’re here,” Bacala said. “Not to make a ton of money but just to serve and service certainly does not come without some pay.”
The raise would have started next year when a new Louisiana Legislature is sworn in.
