Legislative pay commission debated

Lawmakers discussed a proposal on general file March 14 to potentially increase pay for Nebraska state senators.

Sponsored by Blair Sen. Ben Hansen, LR25CA, would place a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2026 general election ballot. Salaries for Nebraska lawmakers are set in the state constitution and cannot be changed without voter approval.

As introduced, the proposal would set the rate of pay for members of the Legislature at the state’s minimum wage rate, beginning Jan. 6, 2027. It also would require that senators receive health insurance paid by the state with equivalent benefits to those offered by Medicaid in effect at the beginning of the term of the most recently elected members.

A committee amendment from the Executive Board would strike the original provisions of the measure. Under the amendment, beginning Jan. 3, 2029, senators’ compensation would be established by a nonpartisan, independent legislative compensation commission.

Current and former members of the Legislature or their spouses, current or former state or legislative employees, lobbyists, judges and elected officials would be excluded from serving on the commission.

Hansen said the current $12,000 annual salary limits who can serve in the Legislature. The low level of compensation leads to the over-representation of retirees and the self-employed, he said, and under-representation of parents of young children and others.

“Nebraska makes it very difficult for people working normal jobs to be able to represent their communities as a state senator,” Hansen said.

Giving voters the option of creating an outside commission would keep Nebraska residents “at the heart of the decision-making process” on whether or not to increase senator pay, he said. Doing so would make the measure more likely to succeed, he said, and would honor the system that the founders of the Unicameral put in place.

“I trust the people to make good decisions,” Hansen said. “I think the more diversity of thought we can have here, the better.”

Speaker John Arch of La Vista agreed that the current salary level makes it difficult for Nebraskans in their prime earning years to serve in the Legislature.

“You have children at home. You are paying for college, you are doing the things that are required of life, and it’s very difficult to be here,” Arch said.

Omaha Sen. Christy Armendariz said she realized after serving two years in the Legislature that she needed to quit her full-time job because she was unable to devote enough time and energy to both her work and being a state senator.

“I signed up for it understanding this is a $12,000 a year job with no benefits, and I was more than willing to do that — still am,” Armendariz said. “[But] you do really limit the body — the pool of people that you can vote for, that make themselves available to be elected — with the pay structure that is currently available.”

Several senators raised concerns about seeking a pay increase in the midst of potential cuts to the state’s budget due to a revenue shortfall and likely decreases in federal funds flowing to the state.

Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said that though she had sponsored a similar measure in the past, she would likely oppose Hansen’s proposal. She said senators’ pay should be raised, but not at a time when lawmakers are “nickel-and-diming the people of Nebraska on everything.”

“If this got on the ballot, I would vote against it,” Cavanaugh said.

Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln also spoke in opposition to the proposal. She suggested it was hypocritical to ask voters to weigh in on the issue when lawmakers are considering several bills this session that would “undercut” the will of voters by watering down successful ballot initiatives on the minimum wage and medical cannabis.

“I think this measure comes [from] proponents who are completely out of touch with where everyday Nebraskans are,” Conrad said.

The Legislature adjourned for the week without taking any action on LR25CA. The measure initially was on the agenda for Monday, March 17, but Speaker Arch alerted senators by email late Friday afternoon that Hansen had requested the measure be passed over.

It is unclear whether the proposal will be scheduled for further consideration.