In 2021, Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives left the state en masse to prevent a vote on a bill they opposed. After a couple of weeks, some told national media they had to get home. Not to the legislature, they said, but to their jobs and businesses. They could not afford to stay away too long.
Their legislative salary is $7200 for the year.
Texas also pays per diem ($221 per day), transportation cost for one roundtrip home each week, and mileage for airplanes (how very Texan). New Mexico pays mileage just for one round trip per legislative session and for travel to interim committees. (Per diem is to cover daily expenses.)
This year New Mexico legislators did not pass the bill to start the debate on whether to pay them salaries, and if so, how much and under what terms. But it’s coming.
New Mexicans have been whining that our state is the only one that does not pay legislators a salary. But there’s no clarity about what sort of salary we have in mind or what difference it would make.
Many New Mexicans may have unclear ideas about legislative salaries. They may assume that salary equals full time — that salaried legislators would devote themselves year round to legislative business. Most state legislatures don’t do that.
For comparison, I sent a brief questionnaire to the legislative staff offices of 10 Western states. I received answers from Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Colorado and Arizona.
“Since legislators receive a salary, is it expected that this salary will be their only or primary source of earned income?” was the first question. They all said no. “We don’t pay much,” said Idaho.
“Are legislators expected to work year-round full time on their legislative business?” All said their legislators don’t have to, but Colorado and Washington said some members do.
“Are they allowed by law to hold another job or profession or own a business?” All said yes, some with restrictions related to possible conflicts of interest.
The salary figures I found are: Idaho $18,875; Arizona $24,000; Colorado $40,242; Washington $57,876.
Nevada is different. It pays a daily salary of $164.69 for days worked in the legislative session, up to 60 days, though the session may go longer. Unless there is a special session, my arithmetic totals less than $10,000 for the year and would make Nevada the lowest paying of these states. But it adds a $10,000 travel allowance.
The Nevada writer commented: “Not surprisingly, most of our legislators have other jobs or are retired, which is why it is often referred to as a ‘citizen legislature.”
New Mexico also uses the term “citizen legislature.” So does Idaho.
The Colorado writer says most legislators work full time at their legislative jobs but most also earn other income.
Washington’s Salary Commission estimates that legislators’ work is part-time (roughly 75%).
Arizona, Colorado and Idaho all pay 4 to 5 times more money in per diem for legislators who live more than 50 miles from the state capitol than those who live within 50 miles.
New Mexico pays per diem equally to all legislators. The late Senator Ken Kamerman (my husband) grumbled about this to me privately. Legislators who live in Santa Fe enjoy the comforts of home and don’t need hotel rooms but get full per diem anyway.
These are a few of the subjects New Mexico will be debating about soon.
I found the answers from the five states so informative that I posted the complete text on my web site www.triplespacedagain.com. Legislative salary advocates and policy wonks like me are welcome to visit.
Triple Spaced Again, © New Mexico News Services 2023