Bill Text: NJ A284 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Reduces compensation afforded members of Legislature by 20%.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State Government Committee [A284 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A284-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN F. AMODEO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblyman CHRIS A. BROWN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Reduces compensation afforded members of Legislature by 20%.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act reducing the compensation afforded members of the Legislature and amending P.L.1948, c.16.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1948, c.16 (C.52:10A-1) is amended to read as follows:
1. Members of the Senate and General Assembly shall receive annually, during the term for which they shall have been elected and while they shall hold their office, compensation in the sum of [$35,000.00 beginning with the 1990 legislative year and compensation in the sum of] $49,000 [beginning with the 2002 legislative year] through the 2009 legislative year and $39,200 beginning with the 2010 legislative year and thereafter. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly, each by virtue of his office, shall receive an additional allowance, equal to 1/3 of his compensation as a member. The compensation herein provided shall be paid to each member upon his qualifying into office as such member, and the additional allowance herein provided to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly shall be paid upon his qualifying into office as such officer.
(cf: P.L.1999, c.380, s.12)
2. This act shall take effect immediately
STATEMENT
This bill would reduce the compensation paid to a member of the Legislature by 20%, from $49,000 to $39,200, beginning with the 2010 legislative year. The New Jersey Constitution provides that legislators' compensation may be increased or decreased by law, but that any change cannot take effect until the legislative year following the next general election for members of the General Assembly. Consequently, the decrease in compensation provided for in this bill will begin with the 2010 legislative year following the next election for members of the General Assembly in November 2009.
Current law provides that the presiding officer of each house of the Legislature receives an additional allowance equal to 1/3 of his compensation as a member. The bill would result in this additional amount also being reduced by 20%.
Given the State's severe budget crisis and State employees being asked to make sacrifices, the entire Legislature must accept a reduction in the legislative salary in recognition of the gravity of the present economic situation. Solving the current budget crisis requires sacrifices on all fronts. A reduction in salary will allow lawmakers to personally empathize with the difficulties of many State citizens during this uncertain economic period.
