Our View: Montana should pay its lawmakers higher salaries

Here is a modest proposal: The Montana Legislature ought to give itself a raise.

Legislators earn an average of about $10 an hour. Even though they enjoy some good health benefits with the pay, it‘s almost to the point that if Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy’s proposal to hike the minimum wage to $10 had been approved, it would have affected the lawmakers who voted on it.

We’re not proposing that our lawmakers should be paid the obscene amounts that other state dole out to their lawmakers. We are proud that we have a citizen legislature — average people go to Helena to pass laws that largely affect normal everyday people.

But many lawmakers are now actually losing money by being elected to office. That may eventually preclude these everyday people from serving.

Whether or not you agree with the outcomes, Montana lawmakers put their heart and soul into serving.

During their 90-working-day session, lawmakers have their first committee meetings at 8 a.m. or earlier. Sometimes there’s no time between morning committee sessions and 1 p.m. full meetings. Then back to full committee meetings. They prepare for the next day by reading bills at night. A Saturday morning session, and then they get to head home for the “weekend,” only to be back at 8 a.m. Monday.

Some lawmakers from far-flung parts of the state decide it’s easier to stay in Helena for the rest of the weekend.

When issues are debated on the floor, lawmakers are required to be present, not raising campaign funds for the next election.

We’ve found that Montana legislators, regardless of their political persuasion, are informed on the issues they are talking about — unlike other states and, for sure, Congress. Many elsewhere rely just on party talking points that don’t withstand scrutiny.

During the off-session, Montana legislators often spend time on the job at their own expense.

They do not get reimbursed when they travel to various parts of their districts.

That may not be too bad for Rep.Stephanie Hess, who represents the city of Havre.

It’s bad for Sens. John Brendan and Windy Boy, whose far flung districts extend hundreds of miles across the Hi-Line. They are allowed to raise what sounds very much like a supplementary campaign fund to finance such trips, but that to us seems unseemly.

When the rest of us drive while working, our employer reimburses us. And we the taxpayers are the bosses of our state lawmakers.

This certainly isn’t to say that we find legislators flawless. Anyone who reads this column with regularity knows that we often disagree with our area legislators actions on many issues — the death penalty, Medicaid expansion for example. To say nothing of the time wasted on Agenda 21, which we will write about after calming down.

But the solution to lawmakers who vote the wrong way is to write letters, make phone calls and pay visits to recalcitrant legislators.

As lawmakers, we owe our employees a decent wage.

Is this likely to happen? Probably not. There is something in the public's psyche that says our employees ought to serve for next to nothing.

But we’re glad to stand apart from the public on this one. We think Montana lawmakers ought to be paid more.