Iowa Lawmakers Vote to Give Themselves and Governor a Raise

When was the last time you had a raise at work? How much was it? Did you get to determine how much that raise was? Probably not. The Iowa House has proposed a new bill that would give all members of the Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds a raise next year. A $10,000 raise.

The Des Moines Register reports that the proposed bill would give pay raises to the governor, all statewide elected officials, and all members of the Iowa Legislature. Yes, that is a lot of people in line for a $10,000 raise. But the Register reports that if passed, it would be the first pay increase for statewide elected officials since 2005 and for lawmakers since 2007.

Several lawmakers spoke out and said that they hope that the pay raise will lead more Iowans to want to run for office. Rep. Adam Zabner, a Democrat from Iowa City, told the Register, "There are plenty of talented people around this state and my hope is that this legislation will help them serve their communities."

What is still unclear at this point is whether the bill has a future during this Legislative session. The Register reports that the bill is not agreed to by Governor Reynolds or Republicans in the Iowa Senate. A spokesperson for Governor Reynolds declined to comment on the proposed bill.

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