Idaho’s citizen’s committee recently approved a 22% raise for state legislators, setting their base salary at $25,000, in addition to meal and travel expenses. While the increase reflects a larger portion of the median state employee salary, it has sparked controversy among some lawmakers.
State Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld, a Republican from Twin Falls, expressed her opposition, citing her principles.
I just can’t vote for myself to have a 22% increase, she told Idaho News 6. Zuiderveld, along with other legislators, plans to introduce a concurrent resolution to reject the raise when the 2025 session begins.
Zuiderveld argued that the raise would be poorly timed, given that many Idahoans are struggling with rising costs, such as property taxes and groceries.
She emphasized her belief that legislators should prioritize relief for constituents before considering their own pay increases.
Despite the salary increase being set by the citizen’s committee, legislators retain the ability to lower or reject it when the session commences in January.
Some lawmakers, like Zuiderveld, believe the raise is too large given the financial pressures their constituents face, and they are hopeful that others in the legislature will join their stance against it.