Andrew Cuomo: State legislators deserve a pay raise 

ALBANY — State legislators deserve a pay raise, and so do his agency commissioners, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Thursday.

Cuomo, a Democrat, endorsed the idea in a public radio interview just days after a specially-appointed commission met to consider the first legislative pay raise in 20 years.

"I think legislators deserve a raise," Cuomo said on The Capitol Pressroom. "Legislators work very hard. They come to Albany. They are away from their families for many days . . . I know it's not popular to say, but I believe they do deserve a raise."

Cuomo's stance is noteworthy because two years ago his appointees scuttled a proposed salary hike for lawmakers when a similar commission convened.

Legislators' base salary hasn't been changed since December 1998, when they reached a deal with then-Gov. George Pataki in exchange for legalizing charter schools in New York.

Beginning in 1999, base pay was set at $79,500, although many lawmakers' pay is much higher due to stipends for serving in leadership roles or as committee chairs. 

Any lawmakers' raise would be tie to a salary hike for agency commissioners, which Cuomo also has backed. While he didn't go into detail Thursday, the governor previously has said pay hikes should be tied to other changes, possibly including a ban an lawmakers' outside incomes.

The pay raise commission has slated public hearings Nov. 28 in Albany and Nov. 30 in Manhattan, and is supposed to take action by Dec. 10.