{"id":2171551,"date":"2024-02-08T17:24:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T22:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kansas-lawmakers-give-themselves-a-93-pay-increase-without-a-vote\/"},"modified":"2024-02-08T17:27:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T22:27:36","slug":"kansas-lawmakers-give-themselves-a-93-pay-increase-without-a-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kansas-lawmakers-give-themselves-a-93-pay-increase-without-a-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Kansas lawmakers grant themselves a 93% pay raise, bypassing voting process"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkansas-lawmakers-give-themselves-a-93-pay-increase-without-a-vote%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2171551&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Kansas capital building is seen on November 8,\u200c 2022 in Topeka, Kansas. Voting begins today \u200cas Incumbent Gov. Laura Kelly faces Republican\u2062 state Attorney \u2063General Derek Schmidt in her re-election bid. After months of candidates campaigning, Americans are voting in the\u2064 midterm elections to \u200ddecide\u2062 close races across the nation. \u2063(Photo \u2064by Michael B. Thomas\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>OAN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/tag\/james-meyers\/\">James Meyers<\/a><br \/>2:18 PM \u2013 \u2063Thursday, February\u2064 8, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Kansas lawmakers have decided to give themselves an almost 100% pay raise without even voting\u2063 on it. <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>A bipartisan proposal took effect Wednesday that gave\u2063 Kansas state lawmakers \u200ba 93% pay raise, which\u200b makes their compensation higher\u200c than states such as Georgia and \u2062Texas.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of a vote, last year \u200bthe lawmakers established a bipartisan pay commission, which\u2063 recommended\u200c rank-and-file\u200b lawmakers,\u2063 who \u200dhave\u200b a $30,000 base compensation receive an increase \u2063of $28,000 starting in January of 2025, according to<em> The Associated Press<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, higher-up lawmakers such as the Senate and\u2062 House president would receive an\u200c increase\u200b from $44,000\u2063 annual salary\u2062 to $85,000. <\/p>\n<p>According to the <em>Kansas Reflector<\/em>, the \u200dLegislative Compensation Commission which is run \u200dby eight former state lawmakers, \u2063unanimously \u2064approved the pay raises for 165 Kansas Legislators. <\/p>\n<p>Chairman\u200b of the commission Mark\u200d Hutton, said the new pay\u2063 hike will help\u2063 in recruitment\u2062 and stop\u200d lawmakers from becoming lawmaking professionals. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cTo be\u2062 clear, I did not approach this responsibility with the intention of arriving at a political solution. While the commission reviewed \u2063the current compensation, we had little discussion about the \u200bsize of \u200dthe increase, choosing\u200b to reflect on what it \u2063should be,\u201d Hutton told the Senate budget committee.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Meanwhile,\u200d Kansas legislators have been critical of the pay compensation for several years, claiming it isn\u2019t enough to live on year-round. Supporters of the pay increase also say it will make the Legislature more diverse and \u2062stop people from becoming retirees and wealthy people. <\/p>\n<p>The new pay\u200c increase, nearly $58,000, includes both a salary and\u200c daily, in-session payments to \u200ccover\u200d expenses such as meals and housing. <\/p>\n<p>Stay\u2063 informed! Receive breaking\u2063 news blasts directly to\u2063 your inbox for free. Subscribe here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"rc-widget-10bad2\" data-rc-widget data-widget-host=\"habitat\" data-endpoint=\"\/\/trends.revcontent.com\" data-widget-id=\"278641\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t \t\tShare this post!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Last week a \u200bmajor court case\u200b wrapped up final arguments in Georgia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>The \u2064White House says they will not accept Hamas\u2019s ceasefire demands as they look to free the remaining Israeli hostages.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Attorney General candidate in Missouri \u200bWill Scharf explains why he\u2062 believes Democrats want\u200b illegal aliens\u200b to cross the border, saying it\u2019s part of their election strategy. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>A bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers call for the\u200c immediate \u200drelease of\u2062 Israeli hostages. \u200d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Google says\u200b consumers\u2063 can pay for better reasoning capabilities as it vies with Microsoft\u00a0to win subscriptions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Apple\u00a0is building \u2062prototypes of at least two iPhones\u2062 that fold widthwise\u2063 like a clamshell.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Tesla sent out a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/apple-is-developing-foldable-clamshell-iphones-the-information\/\" title=\"Apple is creating foldable clamshell iPhones\">single-line query<\/a> for each job after\u200d canceling some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/crumbley-verdict-could-threaten-2nd-amendment\/\" title=\"Crumbley Verdict Could Threaten 2nd Amendment\">employees\u2019 biannual performance reviews<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Meta Platforms\u00a0will begin detecting and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-appeals-court-rules-trump-is-not-immune-from-prosecution-in-2020-election-interference-case\/\" title=\"U.S. Appeals Court: Trump Not Immune from Prosecution in 2020 Election Interference Case\">labeling images generated<\/a> by other companies\u2019 AI services in the coming \u2064months.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> In light of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/californias-crime-plagued-bay-area-now-has-a-problem-with-pirate-attacks\/\" title=\"Pirate attacks plague California's crime-ridden Bay Area.\">economic hardships faced<\/a> by many citizens, how does \u200bgranting a significant pay\u2062 raise to lawmakers reflect the realities of\u200c everyday people and their financial struggles<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Due to the low salary. <\/p>\n<p>The decision to grant this substantial pay raise without a vote has \u200braised concerns among citizens.\u2064 Many argue \u2062that such a significant increase should be subject to public\u200b scrutiny and\u2063 discussion. Critics question whether the bipartisan pay commission has the authority to make this decision without input from\u200d the general public or a vote \u2063from the lawmakers themselves. <\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the timing of this pay raise has also been called into question. At a time when many Kansans are struggling financially and facing economic \u2062hardships, granting such a substantial increase to\u2062 lawmakers seems out of touch with the realities of everyday citizens. <\/p>\n<p>Proponents of the\u2064 pay raise argue that\u2063 it is necessary to attract and retain \u200cquality legislators. They argue that the current\u200d low salary discourages talented individuals from pursuing a career in public service, resulting in a less diverse and experienced legislature.\u200d They believe that \u2062increasing the compensation will incentivize more qualified\u200c candidates to run for \u2062office and dedicate themselves to serving the public. <\/p>\n<p>However, critics of the pay \u2064raise argue that public service should not be \u200cabout financial gain. They believe that lawmakers should be motivated by their\u200b commitment to the public and their desire to make\u2063 a positive impact, rather than their personal financial interests. <\/p>\n<p>The decision to \u2062grant this pay raise without a \u200bvote also raises concerns about transparency and\u2063 accountability. Without a clear \u2063public record\u200b of\u2064 who voted\u200d for or against \u200bthis increase, it becomes difficult for citizens to hold their lawmakers accountable for their decisions. This lack of transparency undermines\u200b the democratic process and erodes trust in \u200cthe political system. <\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, it is crucial that lawmakers address these concerns and \u2064engage in a meaningful dialogue with the\u2064 public. Open discussions about \u2062compensation, as well as the decision-making process,\u200b will\u200b restore confidence in the legislature and ensure \u200dthat decisions reflect the\u2063 best interests\u2064 of the people they serve. <\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the decision to grant Kansas lawmakers\u2063 a significant pay raise without even voting on \u2064it has sparked\u2062 controversy. Critics\u200c argue that the decision lacked\u2063 transparency and public input, while proponents\u2064 believe it is necessary to attract and retain quality legislators. Moving forward, it is important for lawmakers to address these concerns and engage in a transparent and accountable decision-making process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Kansas capital building in Topeka is pictured on November 8, 2022. Incumbent Gov. Laura Kelly competes against Republican state Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the re-election race. Americans are voting today in the midterm elections to determine tight races nationwide. (Photo by Michael B.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2301,"featured_media":2171552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/c3.oann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1244606198-e1707428965680.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2171551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/c3.oann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1244606198-e1707428965680.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2171551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2171551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2171551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2171552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2171551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2171551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2171551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}