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Ways and Means committee recommends RS 31954 to floor, lets lawmakers donate pay to tax relief fund
Summary
The Ways and Means Committee voted to introduce RS 31954 and recommend it to the House floor. The concurrent resolution would acknowledge the independent compensation process for lawmakers and notes an option for legislators to donate their pay to the tax relief fund defined in Section 57-8-11.
At a Ways and Means Committee meeting, members voted to introduce RS 31954 and recommend it be sent directly to the House floor. The concurrent resolution outlines the independent process that sets legislative compensation and highlights an option for legislators to donate any or all of their legislative pay to the tax relief fund defined in Section 57-8-11.
The resolution’s sponsor, Representative Monks, told the committee the measure summarizes long-term changes in pay across categories of state employees and officeholders. “The salaries of legislative members have increased by only 27% since 02/2005,” Representative Monks said, adding that judges, constitutional officers, the lieutenant governor and average state employees have seen larger percentage increases in the same period. He said the tax relief fund, as defined in Section 57-8-11, includes automatic distributions that, he said, channel $39,000,000 toward state public defenders and also directs money into the school facilities fund to offset property taxes.
Representative Bridal asked whether the sponsor wanted the committee to send the resolution straight to the floor or send it to another committee. Representative Monks said he desired that it go directly to the floor but noted that the speaker of the House would make the final scheduling decision.
A motion was made to introduce RS 31954 and recommend it be sent directly to the floor. The committee approved the motion; the chair announced the motion carried after a voice vote. The meeting contained a single agenda item and adjourned with the chair telling members to expect future meetings early in the morning to accommodate the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee schedule.
The resolution itself, RS 31954, is a concurrent resolution; the text includes several "whereas" clauses summarizing comparative pay changes and a provision noting that members may donate legislative compensation to the tax relief fund defined in Section 57-8-11. The committee’s action was procedural (introduction and recommendation to the floor) and did not change compensation or enact a law.
