Assemblyman Joe Morelle, a key upstate legislative ally for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and possibly the next majority leader in the state Assembly, told Liz on Capital Tonight that it’s time to consider a possible pay increase for state lawmakers.

But Morelle, D-Irondequoit, wouldn’t commit to saying whether he would vote for a pay raise and would want to see the legislation first.

“Fourteen years, and I know this is not popular, but fourteen years for people to not go without some increase in compensation, is a long time,” Morelle said in the Thursday interview. “Now admittedly we have been through some very difficult fiscal times, those are continuing, tough economic times. And only in the last couple of years the Legislature has stepped up in partnership with the governor to address some of those concerns.”

There’s rampant speculation that the Legislature will return after the November elections to vote for a pay increase that could also be tied with a salary bump for Cuomo’s own commissioners and department chiefs.

The last time a pay increase was granted, then-Gov. George Pataki tied raise to an expansion of charter schools.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver have denied there’s any talk of a pay raise, but have said they believe members are in line for one after more than a decade of zero increases.

Lawmakers are paid $79,500 as a base salary, but many are granted stipends for leadership duties. The base pay is the second highest among state lawmakers across the country, with only California lawmakers earning more.

A pay increase would likely go over like a lead ballon with the public — an expectation that Morelle acknowledges.

“I think it’s important to attract quality legislators. So I want to see what a proposal looks like and I know it’s not going to be popular from the point of view of the public… but I think it’s really time to consider it. Whether I vote for it will depend on what the bill looks like and what the level of compensation will, but I think it’s time to consider how to attract the best and the brightest in the legislative as well as the executive branch.”

Morelle is also an advocate for bringing mixed-martial arts to New York, a measure that has been bottled up in the Assembly.

The lawmaker said that he heard directly from Silver that he’s concerned about MMA’s union stance, but said he thinks the speaker remains open to the issue.

“What I can tell you is the speaker has had an open mind. I mean, I’ve had a number of conversations with him. Obviously everyone knows the Assembly didn’t report the bill this year,” hes aid.

“I don’t think it’s a question of if it will happen, but when it will happen. I’m hoping 2013 will be the year we finally bring it to New York,” he added.

Share|