Idaho Legislative Salaries to Increase 4 Percent

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A special citizen panel has approved increasing Idaho's basic legislative salaries over the next two years.

The Citizens Committee on Legislative Compensation agreed on Wednesday to bump state lawmaker pay by 2 percent each year until 2018. This means the annual pay for state lawmakers will jump from roughly $16,680 to around $17,350.

However, daily session expenses will remain the same. Lawmakers living within 50 miles of the Capitol will continue to receive $49 a day when the Idaho Legislature is in session, while those living farther away will stay at $129 a day.

The committee voted 3-2 with no discussion. The committee's recommendation will go into effect unless the Idaho Legislature rejects it. The panel was created by a constitutional amendment to provide a nonpartisan assessment of the compensation required to maintain a quality citizen Legislature.