Some state lawmakers who attempted to give themselves a raise this year are planning to try again in 2024, setting up what is likely to be another round of fierce debates in states where legislators earn a pittance for part-time work.
For opponents, raising lawmakers’ pay in states with a strong citizen-legislature tradition strikes at the heart of what it means to be a body composed of regular citizens rather than of professional politicians. Supporters of an increase, meanwhile, argue that rock-bottom pay leads to a legislature disproportionately composed of retired or independently wealthy people.
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