Introduces bill to put raises on ballot

Sue Serino, whose district in the state Senate includes the Highlands, on Dec. 17 introduced a bill that would require voters to approve pay raises for state legislators.

The 213 men and women in the state Senate and Assembly will see their annual salaries increase on Jan. 1 for the first time in 20 years, to $130,000 by 2021 from $79,500, unless a special session is called to vote down the raises. The increase comes with some caveats, such as a cut in the stipends that many members claim.

Serino’s bill, which is co-sponsored by Chris Jacobs, a Republican whose district includes parts of Buffalo, would require voter approval of pay raises recommended by the Legislature’s Compensation Committee.

“With New York politicians poised to become the highest paid in the nation, New Yorkers themselves deserve a say in the process,” Serino said in a statement.

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