State lawmakers and the governor could see their salaries increase, in some cases by some 80 percent, in 2027 under a bill advancing in the Iowa Senate.
Senate File 464 would increase the salary for state lawmakers by $20,000. Currently, Iowa representatives and senators earn $25,000 per year, plus additional money for travel and housing expenses to come to Des Moines from their home districts.
It would also provide a $100,000 salary increase for the Iowa governor, which would be a roughly 77 percent raise. Gov. Kim Reynolds currently earns $130,000 per year.
The bill also would increase the salary for the speaker of the Iowa House, presiding officer of the Iowa Senate and majority and minority leaders of each chamber by $30,000. It would increase the salary for the president pro tempore of the Senate and speaker pro tempore of the House by $22,000.
Under the bill, salaries of the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and secretary of agriculture would increase by $76,788. The salary of the attorney general would increase by $86,331.
This is the second time lawmakers have considered raising their pay since salaries were last increased in 2007. In 2024, legislation in the House proposed a $10,000 increase for lawmakers, state officials and the governor, but it failed to advance.
While statewide elected officials like the governor and treasurer hold full-time positions, lawmakers who are elected from districts often describe their jobs as part-time. Many are retired and most hold other jobs as well.
ADVERTISING
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Jason Shultz from Schleswig, said the proposed salaries are modeled after legislative pay in other states.
The legislation also would provide an increase for the cost-of-living allowance that's the lower of either 3 percent or the pay adjustment received by executive branch noncontract state employees during the preceding fiscal year.
Shultz said the increased gubernatorial salary is necessary to keep or attract experienced candidates to serve.
“The governor's office is in charge of about a $20 billion entity,” Schultz said. “I think it's fair to put a relatively higher than other officeholders wage on there to make sure that the people who are looking at that job maybe have great business experience, great ability, the professional ability to run the state.”
Former Republican Rep. Phil Thompson, of Boone, testified in favor of the legislation, arguing that the salary for lawmakers is the main reason why he chose not to run for re-election. When Thompson first assumed office, he was unmarried. But after he married his wife and had a child, he said the salary wasn’t enough to provide for them.
“When I made that decision, I realized how many Iowans that are young families, that are working-class Iowans, that really anybody that comes from modest to moderate means how many of them are boxed out of serving office,” Thompson said. “A lot of Iowans that deserve to be represented in this building are not simply because they can't afford to serve here.”
Sen. Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville, said the salary is a barrier for young and low-income Iowans to serving in the Legislature, and a pay increase is needed to bring younger voices into the chambers.
“No one is clearly doing this for the money, and we're public servants for Iowans, and we all represent our districts,” Koelker said. “Young representatives should not have to calibrate ‘do we want to have a family be married, or do we want to wait and serve when we're 65 years old and retired?’ And that's not Iowa, and we need to represent Iowa and make it a fair playing field.”
According to Schultz, the ballpark cost of the salary increase would be $570,000 this year and $3 million next year, but that would change as the bill will be amended to set the effective date for the salary increases to Jan. 1, 2027.
www.thegazette.com
Senate File 464 would increase the salary for state lawmakers by $20,000. Currently, Iowa representatives and senators earn $25,000 per year, plus additional money for travel and housing expenses to come to Des Moines from their home districts.
It would also provide a $100,000 salary increase for the Iowa governor, which would be a roughly 77 percent raise. Gov. Kim Reynolds currently earns $130,000 per year.
The bill also would increase the salary for the speaker of the Iowa House, presiding officer of the Iowa Senate and majority and minority leaders of each chamber by $30,000. It would increase the salary for the president pro tempore of the Senate and speaker pro tempore of the House by $22,000.
Under the bill, salaries of the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and secretary of agriculture would increase by $76,788. The salary of the attorney general would increase by $86,331.
This is the second time lawmakers have considered raising their pay since salaries were last increased in 2007. In 2024, legislation in the House proposed a $10,000 increase for lawmakers, state officials and the governor, but it failed to advance.
While statewide elected officials like the governor and treasurer hold full-time positions, lawmakers who are elected from districts often describe their jobs as part-time. Many are retired and most hold other jobs as well.
ADVERTISING
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Jason Shultz from Schleswig, said the proposed salaries are modeled after legislative pay in other states.
The legislation also would provide an increase for the cost-of-living allowance that's the lower of either 3 percent or the pay adjustment received by executive branch noncontract state employees during the preceding fiscal year.
Shultz said the increased gubernatorial salary is necessary to keep or attract experienced candidates to serve.
“The governor's office is in charge of about a $20 billion entity,” Schultz said. “I think it's fair to put a relatively higher than other officeholders wage on there to make sure that the people who are looking at that job maybe have great business experience, great ability, the professional ability to run the state.”
Former Republican Rep. Phil Thompson, of Boone, testified in favor of the legislation, arguing that the salary for lawmakers is the main reason why he chose not to run for re-election. When Thompson first assumed office, he was unmarried. But after he married his wife and had a child, he said the salary wasn’t enough to provide for them.
“When I made that decision, I realized how many Iowans that are young families, that are working-class Iowans, that really anybody that comes from modest to moderate means how many of them are boxed out of serving office,” Thompson said. “A lot of Iowans that deserve to be represented in this building are not simply because they can't afford to serve here.”
Sen. Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville, said the salary is a barrier for young and low-income Iowans to serving in the Legislature, and a pay increase is needed to bring younger voices into the chambers.
“No one is clearly doing this for the money, and we're public servants for Iowans, and we all represent our districts,” Koelker said. “Young representatives should not have to calibrate ‘do we want to have a family be married, or do we want to wait and serve when we're 65 years old and retired?’ And that's not Iowa, and we need to represent Iowa and make it a fair playing field.”
According to Schultz, the ballpark cost of the salary increase would be $570,000 this year and $3 million next year, but that would change as the bill will be amended to set the effective date for the salary increases to Jan. 1, 2027.
Proposal: Give Iowa lawmakers, governor and others big raises
Sen. Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville, said the salary is a barrier for young and low-income Iowans to serving in the Legislature, and a pay increase is needed to bring younger voices into the chambers.
www.thegazette.com
