Gov. Hochul signs pay increase bill for NY state legislators
Members of the New York Assembly debate legislation to approve a legislative pay raise during a special legislative session in the Assembly Chamber at the state Capitol Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in Albany. Credit: AP/Hans Pennink
ALBANY — As expected, Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a law approving a $32,000 pay raise for New York state legislators, making them the highest paid in the nation.
The law sets the annual salary for New York’s 63 senators and 150 Assembly members at $142,000, about $20,000 more than California state legislators’ salary.
But the new law also places caps on New York legislators’ outside incomes for the first time in history.
The cap on outside earning limits would be $35,000, or about 25% above salary. It was modeled on a cap for congressional members, though their limit is 15%. Previously, there has been no limit on state legislators’ ability to earn outside incomes, which watchdogs said created conflicts of interest.
Hochul, a Democrat, previously signaled that she would support a salary boost that had been recommended by a special compensation commission in 2018 but held up by lawsuits.
The State Legislature, acting about a month after the last lawsuit was concluded, approved a pay raise bill on Dec. 23.
About 45 minutes before midnight Saturday, Hochul’s office announced she had signed the legislation, meaning it kicked in Sunday.
The timing was important: The state constitution prohibits lawmakers from raising their own salaries amid their current two-year terms. Since the raise was enacted prior to Sunday, the new salary took effect on New Year’s Day, which is the start of a new two-year term for lawmakers, technically a new legislature.
The same compensation commission also recommended hiking the salaries of the governor, state agency commissioners and statewide elected officials — a proposal that was not challenged in court. As a result, the governor’s salary already had increased from $179,000 in 2018 to $250,000 currently.
Hochul and legislative leaders didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
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