Departing Nassau lawmaker urges colleagues to hike pay
Fran Becker thinks $39,500 for lawmakers is ridiculous. Credit: Newsday / James Escher
Retiring Nassau Legis. Fran Becker (R-Lynbook) made a public plea last week for legislators to raise their salaries, fixed at $39,500 since the legislature began in Jan. 1996.
"I know everybody works extremely hard," Becker said. "We should pass legislation raising our salaries. I am petitioning, almost pleading, that our Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) and our Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) get together and let us do the right thing; $39,500 is an absolute joke."
He received no response. If approved, any pay hike would take effect after the next general election.
Online inflation calculators show that $39,500 in 1996 is the same as $60,078 today.