Interested in helping to "prescribe salaries for legislators"? Minnesota voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state constitution that would place the determination of legislative salaries in the hands of an independent board (see restrictions below). Now the Governor is taking applications for the council.
And yes, the Council will "take into account any other legislative compensation provided to the legislators by the state" so those per diems, benefits, housing allowances and whatnot else will be part of the discussion.
From the Governor's Office:
Governor Mark Dayton is encouraging all eligible Minnesotans to apply for one of the eight current vacancies on the Legislative Salary Council. The council was created upon Minnesota’s voters passing the Constitutional Amendment, and this citizens-only council will prescribe salaries for legislators.
Governor Dayton will appoint eight Minnesotans to this council, which will include one appointee from each Congressional District. Four members must be Democrats and four members must be Republicans. Additionally, none of the members of the council may be:
- A current or former legislator, or the spouse of a current legislator
- A current or former lobbyist registered under Minnesota law
- A current employee of the legislature
- A current or former judge
- A current or former governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, or state auditor
To apply, please submit an application, cover letter, and resume through the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Due to the statutory requirement that the Governor must appoint four Democrats and four Republicans, we are asking that applicants disclose their party affiliation on the application form. The deadline to apply and receive full consideration is Monday, December 5, 2016. For inquiries concerning the application process, please contact Andrew Olson, Director of Appointments, at [email protected].
About the Legislative Salary Council
The council consists of eight members appointed by the Governor and eight by the Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. By March 31 of each odd-numbered year, the council will prescribe salaries for legislators to take effect July 1 of that year. In setting salaries, the council will take into account any other legislative compensation provided to the legislators by the state and the most recent budget forecast.
Although state representative Steve Drazkowski and some others tried to paint the amendment as a DFL measure, it wasn't as we noted in Feckless? Ruud's history of legislative salary amendment doesn't match The Draz's version.
Senator Ruud, R-Breezy Point, talked about her role bringing the idea to Minnesota, the Brainerd Dispatch reported:
Sen. Carrie Ruud, R-Breezy Point, talked of her work to get an amendment to the state constitution that would take away legislators' power of setting their own pay and replace it with an appointed citizen commission. She said she discovered the idea through her involvement with the National Foundation for Women Legislators, after a delegate from the state of Washington told her about it. It's a good solution to break the legislative gridlock around the issue, she said. The fear of political blowback effectively shuts down any hope of a frank discussion on legislator pay. . . .
Lots of Minnesota voters decided that they agree. In a related aside, Ruud has just been elected 2017 president of the NFWL, according to a tweet by Senator Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake:
Thank you @CarrieRuud for your leadership. Thanks for bringing @ElectedWomen to Minnesota in 2017! #mnleg pic.twitter.com/uAo4OExJxD
— Sen. Michelle Benson (@SenatorBenson) November 18, 2016
Photo: Minnesotans have a new blueprint for setting legislative pay.
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