A state senator is working on a constitutional amendment that would tie legislative compensation to the median family household income in the state of Alabama.
If passed by the Legislature and approved by voters, the bill, sponsored by Sen. Bryan Taylor, R-Prattville, would cut legislative pay about 24 percent and remove the Legislature's ability to raise or lower its compen sation.
"It ensures the Legislature will never make more than half of all Alabamians," Taylor said this week. "Legislative compensation will rise and fall based on the salaries of the people we serve."
Legislators receive about $53,438 annually, mainly in the form of a monthly expense account that is adjusted based on the cost of living on April 1 each year. According to the U.S. Census, median household income in Alabama in 2009 was $40,547 a year.
Under the bill, the state Department of Finance would adjust salaries every year to match the median household income in the state. Legislators also would be allowed to submit expenses for attending the Legislature or engaging in legislative business.
