The Alaska Senate essentially rejected giving themselves and other state leaders automatic pay raises linked to inflation with the unanimous passage of a bill Friday that rejects a commission’s recommendation to implement such raises.<\/p>\n
Senate Bill 87 rejects recommendations made Jan. 29<\/a> by the three-member State Officers Compensation Commission that would adjust salaries every two years for the Legislature, Gov. Mike Dunleavy and top officials at state agencies to match the Consumer Price Index — up or down — after the 2026 state election. The recommendations automatically take effect unless the Legislature and Dunleavy pass a law negating the decision.<\/p>\n “As we all know we’re faced with a substantial budget deficit that we as the appropriators have to carefully consider any increment,” Senate Rules Committee Chair Bill Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat, said during Friday’s floor debate. “It is important that we address the many challenges that are facing Alaskans today.”<\/p>\n The bill will next be considered by the House. House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, a Dillingham independent, said Friday his majority caucus is likely to move quickly in matching the Senate’s action.<\/p>\n State legislators receive $84,000 per year in salary, plus per diem that is about $37,000 for all but Juneau’s three state legislators. The governor currently is paid about $176,000 per year, the lieutenant governor about $140,000 and state commissioners about $168,000 per year.<\/p>\n Salary hikes for politicians are frequently controversial and Alaska’s lawmakers were subject to a barrage of criticism when a 67% pay raise<\/a> was approved by the commission in March of 2023. The change that eventually became law also included smaller increases for the governor, lieutenant governor and commissioners.<\/p>\n Supporters of the increase noted executive branch salaries had not increased since 2011, while legislators noted their former $50,400 salary has been unchanged since 2010. However, a major focus of critics was the process involved since all five members of the commission, which had earlier recommended no change in pay for legislators, were replaced by Dunleavy before a new recommendation adding those raises was approved.<\/p>\n Lynn Gattis, a former state legislator and member of the salary commission, told the Alaska Beacon last week the inflation-adjusted recommendation would allow for gradual, small raises instead of the large bump that occurred in 2023 — and also could potentially see pay go down if the CPI declines.<\/p>\n