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Iowa lawmakers consider raising their pay
Bill also would add $10K for each statewide elected official
Caleb McCullough, Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau
Apr. 17, 2024 7:29 pm, Updated: Apr. 17, 2024 8:54 pm
DES MOINES — Looking to make it more appealing to run for the Iowa Legislature, state lawmakers are moving a bill that would raise their own salary — as well as the salary of statewide elected officials.
The bill comes after several retiring lawmakers said during speeches this year the pay should be increased to allow Iowans with a less reliable income outside of the Legislature to run for seats.
If signed into law, House Study Bill 750 would give members of the Legislature a 40 percent raise, increasing their annual salary from $25,000 to $35,000 a year starting in 2025, after the next general election, and then tie their pay to inflation. The bill also would boost the salaries of legislative leaders, the governor, attorney general and other statewide elected officials, each by $10,000.
The Iowa House Appropriations Committee passed the bill Wednesday note, 17-8. It must pass the House and Senate and be approved by Gov. Kim Reynolds to become law.
Why do lawmakers want to increase their pay?
Rep. Gary Mohr, a Republican from Bettendorf who introduced the measure, said legislative pay needs to be high enough to attract more interest from a broader range of candidates.
“If we truly want to attract a quality of people to be in the Legislature, that’s cross-representative of Iowans, that’s what we want, I think we need to raise that salary,” he said.
Multiple lawmakers suggested raising the salary as they’ve given their retirement speeches in the final weeks of the session.
Rep. Phil Thompson, 33, a Boone Republican who was first elected to the Iowa House in 2018, said during a speech this month that financial needs — as he and his wife are expecting their first child — were the main reason he opted not to run for a fourth term in office.
“It was a fun run, but honestly we just can't afford to do another round of it with our first kiddo on the way,” he said. “...As rewarding as this work is, it really just isn’t cut out for working-age families. You guys should fix that if you really want a representative government.”
The Iowa Legislature skews much older than the Iowa population: The average age of current members of the Legislature is 55, according to figures provided by legislative staff last year. Iowa’s median age is about 38.
The Legislature generally meets from January through the end of April each year, and lawmakers hold intermittent meetings in their district and in Des Moines in the interim. Farmers, small business owners, lawyers and other professionals with more flexible schedules make up a significant portion of the Legislature. Several lawmakers are retired from their jobs.
Members of the Legislature since 2005 have been paid $25,000 a year, and some legislative leaders earn up to $37,000. Before the last increase, lawmakers’ pay had been $21,120 since 1997.
In addition to their salary, lawmakers receive a per-diem allowance for food and lodging that amounts to $178 a day for those outside Polk County and $133.50 for those in Polk County. The per-diem is paid for 110 days in the first session after a general election and 100 days in the second, and lawmakers also can receive it if they travel to Des Moines for meetings when the Legislature is not in session.
Lawmakers also receive retirement benefits through the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System and have the option to receive health insurance through the state.
Who else would get a raise?
The bill would also boost the pay for legislative leaders and the governor, attorney general and other statewide elected officials, each by $10,000.
Under the changes, the House speaker, Senate president and majority and minority floor leaders would make $47,000, while the speaker pro tem and Senate president pro tem would make $37,000.
The governor’s salary would be bumped up to $140,000, while the attorney general would be paid $133,669. The lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and secretary of agriculture would all be paid $113,212.
Starting in 2026, the pay of lawmakers and other state officials would be adjusted each year to keep up with inflation.
Also on Wednesday, the committee unanimously passed House Study Bill 749, which directs the Legislative Council, a committee made up of House and Senate leadership, to establish pay increases for legislative staff after the session ends. The pay scale for those employees is set by that council rather than by law.
“I do know that we’re struggling to hire and retain staff in these positions, and in order to be competitive with other salaries in other parts of government, I believe we must look at this and move this bill forward as well,” said Rep. Joel Fry, R-Osceola, during a subcommittee Tuesday.