Minn. Senate passes amendment on lawmaker pay
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would allow voters to create a citizen's council to set lawmakers pay.
By a vote of 40-25, state senators approved an amendment to a proposed constitutional amendment on legislative salaries that lawmakers have set for the for the 2016 ballot.
The new bill sets the title of the ballot question as "Remove lawmakers' power to set their own pay." It also adds details about the council.
Supporters of the amendment say it would remove the conflict of interest in the current system. The Senate amended the bill to prohibit lawmakers from lobbying members of the compensation council.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
"We are clearly not objective when it comes to setting our own pay," said state Sen. Kent Eken, DFL-Twin Valley. "The citizen's council that we have established here in this bill is as objective as it could possibly be. We have removed every possible conflict of interest in the citizen's council."
But state Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, said he thinks it' "dead wrong" to give away that authority.
"If we think we need a raise we ought to stand up, say we do, push a green button and make it happen," Senjem said. "But until that time, I don't think we ought to give this responsibility over to an outside group."
The House passed the measure last week, but will have to act again on the Senate's amended version.