Pay Raise Commission ends, no raises for lawmakers

The special commission set up last year to recommend possible raises for lawmakers has said ‘’no’’ meaning that, short of going into special session and enacting an increase separately from the commission — and getting Gov. Andrew Cuomo to go along — lawmakers will get no raise next year.

Instead, they will continue to collect their $79,500 base salaries, plus stipends for additional duties. They haven’t had a raise since 1999.

“We believe the opinion of the public is entirely relevant,’’ Fran Reiter, one of three gubernatorial appointees to the commission said, referring to public input they got from New Yorkers who don’t believe lawmakers should get more.

She also repeated her contention, which has been shared by the governor, that lawmakers should have come before the panel and testified as to why they should get a pay increase.

Read more: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/269402/pay-raise-commission-ends-no-raises-for-lawmakers/