Why lawmakers should make at least $35,000 a year

• The question isn%27t whether lawmakers should be paid%2C but how much is appropriate
• Serving in the Arizona Legislature is a full-time job
• Even at a higher rate of %2435%2C000 a year%2C lawmakers make less than the average Arizonan

Legislator pay always evokes a healthy debate with strong opinions on both sides.

In Arizona, we decided long ago that our legislators should get paid. And, we wisely determined that they should not set their own salaries. Rather, the salary is proposed by the independent Commission on Salaries for Elective State Officers and only becomes effective upon approval of the voters.

The question isn't whether our legislators should get paid but rather how much is appropriate.

Arizona voters will be asked in the Nov. 4 general election to raise the annual salary we pay state legislators from $24,000 to $35,000 (Proposition 304). As a member of the commission that voted earlier this year to make this recommendation, I urge you to vote "yes" on Proposition 304.

Serving in the Arizona Legislature is a full-time job during the legislative session, which begins in January and often runs through May or later. There also is an average of one more special sessions each year and when legislators aren't in session, they continue serving the needs of their constituents. Given this time commitment, it's very difficult for legislators to obtain and maintain outside employment, making compensation an important factor that most candidates consider when deciding whether to run for the Legislature.

The current salary limits the number of people who are able to serve despite being willing. Many fine citizens serve in the Arizona Legislature and few, if any, will complain publicly about their salary. However, many will tell you privately how they struggle financially in their roles as public servants.

After carefully reviewing the current pay structure, including the per diem that legislators receive during session, the commission determined that our legislators should be compensated at $35,000 per year. This recommendation is more appropriately considered an adjustment rather than a raise because inflation has completely eroded the last voter-approved salary adjustment made in 1998.

No one is going to get rich serving in the Arizona Legislature while earning a salary of $35,000. This is less than the $41,000 that the average single earner in Arizona makes per year. When you consider that the Legislature is tasked with making our laws and managing a multi-billion dollar budget (of which their salary amounts to a fraction of a percent) for all essential state services, including education, public safety, health care, and transportation, it becomes clear why we must encourage the best people to serve by paying them a reasonable yet modest salary.

Some argue that we shouldn't increase legislator pay while the economy is struggling. This argument had some merit in 2008, when the voters defeated the last salary proposal. At the time we were in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns in state history. Fortunately, we have weathered the storm and recent economic forecasts show a full recovery is within sight. The Legislature deserves credit for the role it played in helping Arizona through the economic downturn.

Please join me in supporting Proposition 304. A salary adjustment for our state legislators is warranted and in the state's best interest.

Joseph Kanefield, a Phoenix attorney, served on the Commission on Salaries for Elective State Officers.