It's been more than 30 years since members of the General Assembly received a pay raise.
If you're looking for a plan for lawmakers to get around their reluctance on voting for a pay raise, look to former Governor Jerry Baliles. In the late 1980s, he was able to secure a pay raise for members of the General Assembly by creating a blue ribbon panel that could make the recommendation and take the heat.
"Governor Baliles, being a former delegate himself, knew that there was a need for some increase in the compensation, but he also knew it was a very public and very touchy subject," says Bill Leighty, who worked in the Baliles administration. "So, he reached out to former governors and asked them to serve on a commission to evaluate it."
The plan worked, and it was the last time members of the General Assembly received a pay raise. Three years later, when a recession hit, and Governor Doug Wilder called for austerity...
"I will veto any legislation that initiates new programs in the next biennium."
Members of the House of Delegates responded by giving themselves a pay cut, reducing their own salaries by two percent in 1991. And that's where the salaries have remained ever since.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
