California's lawmakers and top elected officials saw their pay slashed Monday for the first time since creation of a full-time Legislature more than four decades ago.
The 18 percent salary cut for state officeholders ranging from governor to legislator to Board of Equalization members was ordered in May by the state's independent compensation commission.
The reductions will appear on officeholders' next paychecks, scheduled for late December.
Separately, statewide elected officials also saw an 18 percent reduction in health and other benefits - including, for legislators, cuts in their car allowances and in the $173 per diem to defray living expenses in Sacramento.
Controller John Chiang does not intend to challenge the pay panel's decisions and will implement the cuts, spokeswoman Hallye Jordan said. Chiang's own pay fell from $169,743 to $139,189.
Gubernatorial pay dropped from $212,179 to $173,987 - or $38,192 annually - but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will not be affected because he has not accepted state pay since taking office in November 2003.
Legislative pay fell by $20,917 per year Monday, from $116,208 to $95,291. The Assembly speaker, Senate president pro tem and the Republican leaders of both houses will receive $109,584, down from $133,639.
For statewide constitutional officers, other than governor, pay will range from a high of $151,127 for the attorney general and superintendent of public instruction to a low of $139,490 for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and Board of Equalization members.
Attorney General Jerry Brown, responding to questions from administrators of the Assembly and Senate, issued an informal opinion last month that paved the way for implementation of Monday's pay cut.
Brown opined that decisions made by the state's independent salary-setting commission, created by passage of Proposition 112 in 1990, are not barred by the state constitution from taking effect in the middle of officeholders' terms.
Jordan, Chiang's spokeswoman, said the controller's role in adjusting salary, benefits and per diem is "purely ministerial."
"We were awaiting guidance from the attorney general and will abide by his opinion, Jordan said Monday.
State records covering more than four decades - from 1967 to present - show that Monday's pay cut marked the first for elected officials during that span. Legislative pay had climbed from $16,000 in 1967 to $116,208 in December 2007.
Latest posts:
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.