With the summer primary season now behind us, and the general election just around the corner, it’s a perfect time to take stock and reflect on ways to remove impediments to those who desire to seek a seat in Vermont’s legislature.
In Vermont we have a so called “citizen legislature.” But in truth, large segments of the population are prevented from running for office, simply because they can’t afford to serve.
Right now a sitting legislator earns about $725 a week and $70 a per diem for food, that may be pocketed whether utilized in full or not, resulting in an income of approximately $22,000 for the legislative session.
But any legislator worth their salt works full time year-round on constituent needs – and over the course of a year, legislators barely receive minimum wage. If a legislator is retired, independently wealthy or has an off session job where they don’t have to show up for five months, then this isn’t an issue, but it’s a barrier for the average Vermonter.
Much has been made in recent years about transparency and ethics regarding legislators’ financial disclosures when running for office. And financial disclosures regarding income sources are required, but there’s no penalty, other than political pressure, for failing to disclose.
So I think we should consider linking legislative pay to income reporting requirements.
The first step would be to get rid of the food allowance, and quadruple the base pay to about $60,000 for the legislative session.
Base pay would supplement a legislator’s income. But if a legislator had more than $60,000 in income outside of the legislature, then their legislative pay would be zero. Any legislator applying for legislative pay would be required to disclose their income. Those opting out of the available cash pool, however, would be exempt from disclosure.
It’s often said that “public service” requires sacrifice and is motivated not by the pay, but by a sense of duty. But if we’re serious about increasing the diversity of the legislature, we must level the playing field for people who would not otherwise be able to run for office.
A system like this would give people who need to support themselves and their families the opportunity to serve – and us, more inclusive representation.
