Lawmakers might keep 5% pay cut
Hawaii legislators are considering whether to extend a 5 percent cut in their pay for another two years.
The House Finance Committee is hearing a bill Wednesday that would keep the pay cut in place until 2013. Lawmakers originally took the 5 percent pay reduction in 2009.
The previous pay cut affected 208 government employees including legislators, the governor, judges and department heads.
| On the Net:
» Hawaii State Legislature: www.capitol.hawaii.gov/ |
This year’s proposal would affect only the pay of legislators.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
The original measure was meant to show that elected leaders were sharing the pain caused by the economic downturn.
But legislators did not give up most of their earlier raises, including a 33 percent pay increase to more than $48,000 in 2009.
The 5 percent reduction then shrank their annual salaries by about $2,400, to $46,272. The House speaker and Senate president make more than $53,000.
House Bill 575 would take effect June 29.
The bill, introduced by state Reps. Ty Cullen, Henry Aquino, Mark Hashem, Joey Manahan, Marcus Oshiro, Calvin Say, Ryan Yamane and Linda Ichiyama, passed second reading on Friday.
