Bill Post: Lawmakers eye new $63,000 salary

By Hon. Bill Post
Former Oregon State Representative

Guess what? The “we want more pay” legislators aren’t gunning for $58,000 a year…it’s over $63,000 a year! Right now, with salary and per diem, they are paid over $44,000 a year on average for a two year term in the House. Who can’t live on that? This story has been updated. Oh and just an afterthought, it will cost taxpayers over $7 million in the next biennium.

Oregon Capitol Chronicle states, “Oregon legislators would make almost $63,500, if they vote to tie their salaries to the state’s average wage, according to an updated report from legislative analysts.That’s $6,000 more than what was originally calculated under terms of the proposed legislative raise.A Senate committee advanced Senate Bill 1566 on Tuesday, with proponents arguing that higher wages would improve diversity in the Legislature and reduce turnover. At that time, the legislative analysts said passing it would result in paying lawmakers $58,500 beginning in January 2023. They now are paid slightly less than $33,000. Their new salary would increase every two years if average wages in Oregon increase, but it couldn’t decrease more than 2% in a year, even if average wages fall. The Senate president and House speaker receive twice the salary as other lawmakers. “