Voters Will Decide Minnesota Legislators’ Pay Issue

ST. PAUL (AP) - Minnesota voters will be asked this fall whether state lawmakers should be setting their own salaries, or whether those decisions should be made by an independent citizens commission.

DFL Sen. Kent Eken is one legislator who believes lawmakers should not be voting on their own compensation. Eken says "it feels wrong" and that objectivity is in question.

The constitutional amendment voters will consider establishes a citizens board to set the lawmakers salary. There hasn't been a change to their base salary of about $31,000 since 1999. A survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures ranks Minnesota 19th in base pay for legislators among the 39 states that provide an annual salary.

The governor and Supreme Court chief justice would pick the members of the citizens council.