Sen. Christy Zito brings resolution to reject Citizens Committee pay recommendation

Senator Christy Zito, a state senator representing Legislative District 8 (Elmore Valley, Boise and Custer counties), introduced concurrent resolution RS 31919 in the Senate State Affairs Committee to reject the compensation rates set by the Citizens Committee on Legislative Compensation.

Zito told the committee that under the Idaho Constitution, Article IV, Section 23, the Citizens Committee, not the legislature, establishes legislative pay and that the constitution allows the legislature only to reject or reduce the rates by concurrent resolution. “The Idaho legislature cannot vote for a pay increase, but the Idaho constitution does allow for a rejection, and that's what this resolution will do,” Zito said.

Zito urged members to reject the rate the committee recommended, saying the committee’s proposed increase — which she described as about 22 percent — is inappropriate amid rising costs for many Idaho households. “At a time when inflation is causing deep hardship for many across the state of Idaho, an increase of this magnitude is inappropriate,” she said. She also said the state budget has grown substantially in recent years, saying it has increased “by 55% in just 5 years.”

After Zito’s presentation, Senator Shippey moved to send RS 31919 to print; the motion was seconded and the committee approved it by voice vote. The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the hearing transcript.

The resolution as presented cites Idaho Constitution, Article IV, Section 23, which establishes the Citizens Committee on Legislative Compensation and provides the legislature the option, by concurrent resolution prior to the 25th legislative day of the next regular session, to reject or reduce rates the committee sets.

The committee’s approval to send RS 31919 to print advances the resolution to the next step in the Senate process; the transcript indicates the committee will continue consideration through the chamber’s legislative process.

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What the committee heard: Zito framed the resolution as a constitutional check on an assertedly large pay increase and tied it to broader concerns about inflation and property taxes for Idahoans on fixed incomes. No formal debate or roll-call vote on adoption of the resolution occurred in the hearing; the committee’s procedural vote sent the resolution to print.