LINCOLN — Nebraska voters might get a chance to give their state senators a $10,500 raise.
The Executive Board advanced a resolution Thursday for consideration by the full Legislature, after amending the measure to reduce the proposed salary from $32,000 to $22,500. The resolution was introduced by Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha.
Nebraska lawmakers currently earn $12,000 per year plus expenses, which ranks among the lowest compensation packages in the nation. Senators last got a raise 24 years ago.
If the Legislature approves the raise, the issue would be decided by voters in November's general election because it requires a change to the Nebraska Constitution.
Sen. Mike Flood, speaker of the Legislature, proposed the $22,500 figure because it roughly adjusts the current salary for inflation.
"It maintains a citizen Legislature," he said. "You still have to have a job."
The speaker also said he opposes removing senator pay from the constitution, referring to another proposal before the board to create a commission to set legislator salaries.
Board members discussed not letting the pay raise take effect until 2015 as a way to counter criticisms that it was a self-serving maneuver. But a motion tied to the 2015 date failed. The approved motion sets the effective date as Jan. 1, 2013.
Executive Board members also briefly discussed another pending resolution that would allow senators to serve a third consecutive term. Under current law, senators may serve a limit of two terms.
Some members expressed concern about advancing both the term limits and senator pay resolutions. But Sen. John Nelson of Omaha suggested letting the full Legislature decide the fate of the two.
The board plans to revisit the term-limits proposal next week.
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402-473-9587, joe.duggan@owh.com
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