Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Passport
  • Support WSKG
Donate
  • Donate
  • logo
  • logo
  • Donate
  • Home
  • News
  • TV
  • Your Radio
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Arts
  • Education
  • History
  • Science
  • Donate
  • More
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Passport
    • Support WSKG

WSKG - Local news and arts, broadcasting NPR radio and PBS TV.

WSKG thanks our sponsors...
  • Donate your vehicle to support WSKG

WSKG (https://wskg.org/news/new-york-state-assembly-members-split-on-pay-raises-limits-on-outside-income/)

  • Donate
  • Home
  • News
  • TV
  • Your Radio
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Arts
  • Education
  • History
  • Science
Listen Live WSKG
Listen Live WSKG Classical

Watch Live WSKG TV
Watch Live PBS Kids
Learn at Home
Covid-19 information

New York State Assembly Members Split On Pay Raises, Limits On Outside Income

By Tom Magnarelli | December 20, 2018
More
  • More on binghamton
  • Subscribe to binghamton

SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – New York lawmakers’ pay raises, which are being challenged in court, are expected to go into effect Jan. 1 and would increase legislators’ pay by more than 60 percent over three years. Central New York’s state Assembly members are split on the raises.

Under the plan, the current base pay for lawmakers will go up from $79,500 per year to $110,000. In Jan. 2020, the base pay increases to $120,000, and increases again to $130,000 in Jan. 2021.

Oswego County Republican Assemblyman Will Barclay, who also works as an attorney, said changing the legislature from part time to full time, with the pay bump and a limit of 15 percent of their salary to outside income, will create a professional political class, rather than having a range of representatives not fully reliant on that paycheck.

“We have insurance agents, we have farmers, we’ve had dentists, you have a wide breadth of people that might not otherwise run for office, if it was full time,” Barclay said. “I think that diversity, backgrounds and occupations, bring something to the legislative debate and public policy that I think is important, and I think we will lose that if we have a full-time legislature.”

Syracuse area Democratic Assemblywoman Pam Hunter said that’s a valid concern.

“We want people who are passionate and the best and brightest,” Hunter said.

But Hunter, who does not have outside income, said the pay increases are well overdue and she treats her position as full time.

“The amount and volume of work that is done in order to get to crafting legislation is huge,” Hunter said. “Seeing constituents, meeting with the different businesses in the area takes a huge amount of time.”

She said a separate piece of legislation could also change that limit on outside income.

“We don’t want to say you can only be a public servant if x, y, z,” Hunter said. “We want to make sure we’re not discounting people who want to serve.”

Some legislators may be forced to choose between their elected position or their outside profession, if the limit to outside income remains unchanged. But it does not go into effect until Jan. 2020.

Recent Posts

  • Even With Tax Relief, Advocates Say Tax Hikes On The Wealthy Needed

    ALBANY, NY (WSKG) - Democrats in the state legislature support new, higher taxes on New York’s richest residents as part of the new state budget. They say a newly released study that shows that the state’s 120 billionaires increased their wealth by $88 billion dollars during the pandemic bolsters that claim.

  • Joe Prude, Brother Of Daniel, Angered By Grand Jury Decision

    ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - Joe Prude said he’s still in shock over a grand jury’s decision not to pursue criminal charges against the Rochester Police officers involved in his brother Daniel’s death. Joe called 911 nearly a year ago with concerns about Daniel's mental health.

  • House Lawmakers Grill Health Department Leaders Over PA’s Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout

    HARRISBURG, PA (WSKG) –– Tensions flared at the state Capitol Thursday over how, when and where the Department of Health has been coordinating with providers to administer vaccines. Currently, only Pennsylvanians that fall into the commonwealth’s Phase 1a of vaccine distribution can schedule an appointment through a select group of providers to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Assembly Dems Plan Votes Next Week On Nursing Home Reforms

      Legislation making it easier to visit nursing homes is expected to get an Assembly vote next week as part of a package of reforms targeting the industry, according to Assemblyman Harry Bronson, a Rochester-area Democrat, who previously chaired the chamber’s Aging Committee.  CLICK HERE.

  • Cuomo Aides Combat Scandal On Two Fronts

    ALBANY, NY (WSKG) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his staff were in damage control mode Thursday as they faced two scandals: the governor’s handling of nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic and the months-long suppression of the true number of residents’ deaths, and allegations that Cuomo sexually harassed a former staffer. On one front, State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker testified at a long-awaited legislative budget hearing for most of the day.

WSKG thanks our sponsors...

About WSKG

WSKG connects you to local and global news and the arts online, on the radio, and on TV. NPR and PBS affiliate.

Contact Us

email: WSKGcomment@wskg.org

phone: 607.729.0100

address: 601 Gates Road, Vestal, NY 13850

DONATE

Pay an underwriting invoice

  • WSKG
  • Arts
  • Education
  • Science
  • News
  • Your Radio
  • Schedule
  • TV
  • About
  • WSKG Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Public Reports & Policies
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
  • Protect My Public Media
FCC PUBLIC FILES
WSKG-FM
WSQX-FM
WSQG-FM
WSQE
WSQA
WSQC-FM
WSQN
WSKG-TV
WSKA
Disabled and need assistance with the online FCC public file?
Contact Gregory Keeler
WSKG
601 Gates Road
Vestal, New York 13850
607-729-0100
gkeeler@wskg.org

Stay Connected

Like Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on InstagramSubscribe via RSS

© Copyright 2021, WSKG

Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Back to top ↑

Change Location
To find awesome listings near you!