HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION N
September 19, 2019, Introduced by Reps. Steven
Johnson, Paquette and Yaroch and referred to the Committee on Government
Operations.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state constitution of 1963, by amending section 12 of article IV, to set the salary of legislators.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the state of
ARTICLE IV
Sec. 12. (1) The state officers compensation commission is created which subject to this section shall determine the salaries and expense allowances of the members of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the justices of the supreme court. The commission shall consist of 7 members appointed by the governor whose qualifications may be determined by law.
(2) Subject to the legislature's ability to amend the commission's determinations as provided in this section, subsection (3), the commission shall determine the salaries and expense allowances of the members of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the justices of the supreme court. which The determinations shall be the salaries and expense allowances only if the legislature by concurrent resolution adopted by a majority of the members elected to and serving in each house of the legislature approve them. The senate and house of representatives shall alternate on which house of the legislature shall originate the concurrent resolution, with the senate originating the first concurrent resolution.
(3) The concurrent resolution may amend the salary and expense determinations of the state officers compensation commission to reduce the salary and expense determinations by the same proportion for members of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the justices of the supreme court. The legislature shall not amend the salary and expense determinations to reduce them to below the salary and expense level that members of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the justices of the supreme court receive on the date the salary and expense determinations are made. If the salary and expense determinations are approved or amended as provided in this section, subsection and subsection (2), the salary and expense determinations shall become effective for the legislative session immediately following the next general election. The commission shall meet each 2 years for no more than 15 session days.
(4) Beginning January 1, 2023, the salary of the members of the legislature will be the average wage. The commission shall determine the average wage and the expense allowances for the members of the legislature. As used in this subsection, "average wage" means the average wage for a resident of this state during the year immediately preceding a legislative session, computed from wage data published by the department of technology, management, and budget.
(5) The commission shall meet each 2 years for no more than 15 session days to make determinations required by this section.
(6) The legislature shall implement this section by law.
Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be submitted to the people of the state at the next general election in the manner provided by law.