Arizona Proposition 300 - State Legislator's Salaries
A five-member, bi-partisan Commission comprised of citizens was appointed by the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House and the Arizona Chief Justice. They unanimously agreed to recommend via Proposition 300 that the salaries of legislators should be raised from $24,000 to $30,000 per year.
Click on "Read more" to see a synopsis of the pros and cons and find more information about this ballot measure.
Will you vote in favor of Proposition 300?
1) Yes, legislators' salaries should be raised.
2) No, legislators' salaries should not be raised.
Advocates of Proposition 300 say that: "Even if you have issues with how legislators have done their jobs, they are seriously underpaid and deserve a raise. Their compensation of only $24,000 per year has not been raised for many years and must be improved to attract the best and brightest to legislative service, especially people who may not work for a large business or utility that can afford to subsidize their incomes. We need citizen legislators who can be paid enough in salary so they don't depend on special interests to supplement their incomes."
Opponents of Proposition 300 say that: "The role of the legislature is quite simple: Pass an annual budget and GO HOME. It is a part time legislature that is supposed to meet less than 100 days a year. Being elected is a civic minded contribution, not a career. . . . The one thing legislators cannot seem to do in a timely manner is pass a budget. I certainly would not pay legislators more for a job they currently cannot seem to do as more of your tax money would simply encourage prolonging the budget process further."
UPDATE: Proposition 300 failed with 65% of the voters voting no.
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Comments
Hey, when i get a decent cost of living raise…..I will vote one for you. Until then VOTE NO on PROP 300.
The role of the legislature is quite simple: Pass an annual budget and GO HOME. you dont need more money. you need to do your job. remember we the people voted you in and we can vote you out. be thankful you get $24,000.00 a year for part time work.
You have to be kidding me……HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I say give our State’s public servants a small pay raise. Most serve because they believe in making a postive difference. In the past I voted NO every time this came up but honestly, $30K will not break the State’s budget to compensate mostly honest people. People who try hard to make Arizona a better place.
Haha. These people do nothing and want more money? How about a proposition to raise the salaries of USEFUL government employees, like teachers, police and fire workers, and court officials?
Most of you are very short sided in your thinking. Have you ever heard the term…”You get what you pay for?” Maybe if we gave a little more then we could get some more qualified candidates.
What is the true job description for these Legislators? Without slinging mud, can anyone tell me? It can’t be as simple as planning a budget. There has to be more than that. It must be rough to rely on voters that you don’t know, that don’t know you, and have absolutely no idea what you do - make a decision on what you get paid. Our economy sucks right now. You can’t pull anymore money out of us when we are all struggling to make ends meet as it is… I just don’t think right now is the time to make room in the budget to entertain that thought. I’m sorry, but I will be voting no this time around. If you are one of the five members reading this - please don’t take it personally. As most employers are either on a hiring freeze or laying people off in this state, I just don’t think that raises should be awarded just yet. Don’t let that discourage you though - we all just need to wait it out. Put it on the ballot at a later date.
I have to comment here. I am someone who would LOVE to serve a term..or two..working as a legislator in Phoenix. And most Arizonan’s would probably think I did a decent job too, because I am not like these wealthy cattlemen and busniessowners who serve us there now. They, after all, are the only ones who can afford such a piddly salary. So, once again, the common, working “man” is excluded from participation in our government by its very design. Raise the pay…the fatcats there now won’t bat an eye at the raise-hence their lack of verbiage either for or against this measure. But for 35K/year, I could and would serve a go ’round over there to try and bring some common, everyday sense back to our government.
What isn’t mentioned is not only do the legislators get $24,000 for part time work, but also 10K plans, health and dental benefits, and those great lobbyists lunches. Until the campaign laws are reformed, this will not at all cut out the special interests slush funds they receive in the form of campaign contributions. They do have more to do than simply pass a budget, they desperately need to spend at least two sessions reviewing any and all past legislation, and rescind about 3/4’s of the existing laws on Constitutional grounds - you know, the ones they passed for those special interests groups at the general public and citizens expense!
Oh, and I forgot they also get per diems for extra session days, and expense accounts at the Arizona public’s expense. They might be able to balance the budget if they removed the expense accounts from the Governor and legislature. The Governor’s recent trips in the past three years have been to England, Canada, Mexico (almost more than she’s in Arizona) and Iraq….
That’s where your money goes, Arizonans. They may not get it in “salary,” but certainly make it up in benies, most of which they voted for themselves.
I put my life at risk full time everyday as a health care worker and I make less than that so I will vote NO. Give me a break!!!!!
I AGREE WITH CAJ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH HA
Hahahaha thats funny they chose to be in the legislative instead of getting a job that would pay more than 24000. They chose that so they deserve thet!!!!
You have GOT to be kidding me! I’m glad I decided to check on all the propositions before it was time to vote. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!
I feel that all elected officials (to exclude the President) should be serving in office on a VOLUNTARY basis anyway and that they should do so on THEIR OWN TIME and with NO PAY! Vote no on the rich getting richer…….
Why is it that we have to pay extra money for a job they asked to do? Is this kind of like the buy out that we ended up paying for. Why don’t we send them to a resort just like the AIG big wigs. Did any of us enjoy that trip? I think not. They just keep on trying to figure out a way to give it to us without having to use K-Y jelly. I’m getting tired of these government people saying they are there for us. They’re just there to see how much they can get from us. I’m voting NO.
I am a AZ state DES employee and have gotton a mealsy 2 percent raise in 2007 only to not bring it home..the piddy raise infact went into a mandatory AZ State Retirement portfolio. I and the rest of DES employees did not get a choice in this matter. We also need to be paid $30,000 or more!… We have been left on the back burner year after year and guess who put us there???? Duh? the LEGISLATORS!!!! We are FULLTIME employees who ensure our needy families are fed, clothed, shelterd, and healthy… Sure.. we get our benefits that most if not all working class citizens get from their employers…but we do not get perks!! fancy lucheons… trips….business accounts and all that jazz…so… if I don’t get raise the Legislators should not either!!! I vote NO on prop 300! and I make no apologies.
So they haven’t received a raise since Clinton was in office? I wouldn’t take a job if I got a raise every 10 or 20 years at this rate. Hold on, don’t they have to use their own personal savings first, and get elected, to get the privilege of representing their fellow neighbors and get lambasted daily by their fellow uninformed constituents? Don’t we already have a law against that type of masochism? I hope I don’t miss the wife and kids while I’m away for you. Oh, I’ll probably have to pay for an additional place to stay in Phoenix when we’re in session too, besides my home in Havasu. Please tell me I get an office, er room where they can send the hate mail. Tell me again why I wanna do this instead of flipping hamburgers? Oh yeah, for you, my fellow loving citizens. Screw the raise, where do I sign up.
No, I am not giving them a raise. But that money into the AZDOT and fix the roads!
Yo… ADAM, have YOU ever heard that a person who truly believes in what they do, who want to make themselves heard and be a part for the common good, don’t expect high monetary compensation??? If its in your heart to do something, then you’re not going to require a large paycheck to do it… FOR EXAMPLE, let’s nsee hmmm… teachers, hmmmm doctors who work in hellish conditions in poverty-striken countries, social services personnel, the list is enormous, come on, get what you pay for IS what you’ll get, someone looking for a simple way to increase THEIR wealth!
$24,000 does not pay for the gas or a babysitter. Where are we going to find qualified people if will not even pay their expenses?
$24,000 for less than a hundred days work…sounds more than fair.
I vote yes, who can live off of that? Also, how about our teachers, what a about a prop for them?
Anyone who votes No on prop 300 is more than selfish! Check out the average cost of living definitions for poverty rates. It’s not fair to ask our state legislatures to live under such standards.
The last commentor is misinformed just as all the uneducated misinformed people that voted for Obama. Do you really think that those legistors are living on that income alone? Most of them either have cash or it is a second income, they only work 100 days or less per year; wake up and smell the coffee. Just look at how much they have NOT done. Do you get a raise before you perform at work, I seriously doubt that. They need to prove themselves first and get a raise later. I can’t believe the dumbed down state of this country, reading this stuff just verifies it for me. Go home and watch more TV so you can get dummer!