An independent panel has advanced a plan that would more than double Arkansas legislators' salaries and substantially raise pay for judges and most constitutional officers.
The Independent Citizens Commission on Monday approved its initial review of salaries for lawmakers, constitutional officers and judges. The vote begins a monthlong public comment period before the seven-member commission holds a final vote on the proposal.
The review calls for raising lawmakers' salaries from $15,869 a year to $39,400, an increase that commissioners said was tied to their recommendation to eliminate the $14,400 in annual office expenses legislators can currently claim.
The panel was created through a constitutional amendment voters approved in November. The commission plans a public hearing March 2 and a final vote March 13.
