Maybe its time for the New York State Legislature to officially be recognized as a full time legislature

Politics
1

An opinion piece from 2013 that has been made newly relevant by the following news.

The New York State Legislature approved and Governor Hochul signed legislation raising the legislature’s pay by 29% to $142,000 a year, making it the highest paid state legislature in the country.

However, the New York State Legislature is officially considered a part time legislature, meaning legislators can hold outside employment. But when you consider the hours they devote to legislative duties, it is clear it is a full time job.

I don’t oppose the pay raise. And it did come with some restrictions on outside income.

But given the realities and the real potential for abuse, I think the New York State Legislature should be officially designated a full time legislature and its members forbidden from having outside employment or income.

There have been a number of recent scandals with members in both Houses. Beyond time to close this glaring loophole.

2

I am surprised to discover that they aren’t full timers already.

That’s a lot of people and an enourmous economy to manage.

3

Not “officially” full time, although practically speaking they are full time.

Pennsylvania is the only State that officially has a full time legislature.

National Conference of State Legislature considers only four States to have full time legislatures, California, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania. They define full time as well paid and having large staffs per member.

6 States are considered to have scaled down full time legislatures.

26 States are in between full and part time.

10 are considered close to true part time.

4 states, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming, are considered to have true part time legislatures, with small pay and small or non-existent per member staffing. (Citizen legislator model.)

4

Interesting. California would be another one I’d expect to have a full time leg.

5

It is full time, practically speaking.

But like New York and other States, it lacks the ban on outside income and outside employment that would make it “officially” full time.

Not sure why these large States have failed to take this step.

6

Probably because the people don’t realize the problem

7

Then you have Florida which limits its legislature to 60 day sessions per year.

Which was fine until the last 5 decades, but is kind of sketchy now that Florida is the third largest State in the nation.

8

People concentrate on the Federal Government, which has its many problems.

But they overlook some of the truly ludicrous situations that exist in their own State.

Such as Alabama and its Constitution.

The just passed recompilation is just a temporary band aid. The Alabama Constitution needs to be burned and rewritten, but the people just don’t pay the kind of attention to State matters that would push the State to take that action.

9

Because it’s up to the Legislature to make that change, and they like their lucrative side jobs.

For a while, a 30-year New York State Senator was an active partner in an election law practice while serving in the Senate. Almost comical levels of corruption.