Summary
Lawmakers in at least five U.S. states will receive pay raises, with New Jersey already implementing a significant increase for its state senators and assembly members. In other states like Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, similar pay hikes are planned, and a lawsuit might lead to higher salaries at the federal level too.
Key Facts
- New Jersey state lawmakers received a nearly 70% salary increase, their first in over 20 years.
- In Connecticut, lawmakers are set to get a 4.5% pay raise each year starting from the 2025-2026 term.
- Pennsylvania lawmakers receive an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase each year.
- Virginia is considering a proposal to raise lawmakers' salaries to $50,000 from $18,000 beginning January 2028.
- A lawsuit could potentially increase salaries for members of Congress at the federal level.
- The raise in New Jersey costs taxpayers an estimated additional $4 million annually.
- New Jersey legislators' new salary ranks among the highest in the country, just below New York, California, and Pennsylvania.
