State legislators and other top elected officials got a pay raise on Wednesday.
The California Citizens Compensation Commission voted 5-1 to raise the salaries of the governor, lieutenant governor, state senators, Assembly members and other officials by 5 percent, according to an article in the Sacramento Bee.
The pay hike partially replaces the 22 percent in cuts to salaries the compensation commission made during the past four years of California's budget crisis.
Legislators' salaries will rise from $90,526 a year to $95,291, the Bee reported.
What do you think? Now that the state budget contains a surplus, should lawmakers be given back some of the salary that was cut? Let us know in the comments section.
Patch contacted East Bay legislators for comment on the pay issue.
Before the vote, state Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) said, "I trust the commission to make a decision based on their findings of what is appropriate and how California compares to other states. I am happy to leave that decision to the commission."
The commission was formed with the passage of Prop. 112 in 1990. Every year, it sets the salaries and benefits of state legislators and top elected officials.
The seven members of the commission are appointed to six-year terms by the governor.
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