The state Legislature will decide during its upcoming session whether or not to give pay raises to the state’s top elected officials.
Speaker of the House Joe Salter, D-Florien, recently submitted a resolution to the Legislature recommending the raises. The session begins Monday.
Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, Commissioner of Agriculture Bob Odom, Attorney General Charles Foti, Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, Insurance Commissioner Robert Wooley and Treasurer John Kennedy each would receive 48 percent boosts — from $85,000 to $125,933 a year — if the resolution passes.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s salary would rise 59 percent, from $95,000 to $150,933.
Most of the elected officials would favor the pay raise, which Scott Madere, Secretary of State McKeithen’s public information officer, said is “logical.”
“I don’t know that anybody would be against a pay raise,” he said.
But Madere said it is important to note that statewide officials would not give the raise to themselves, but that the Legislature would.
Treasurer Kennedy is the only official who has said he will not support the pay raise.
“If it is approved, I won’t accept it,” Kennedy said.
When asked what would happen to the more than $40,000 he would refuse if the resolution passes, Kennedy said he would want the money to go into the treasury.
Commissioner Odom favors the pay raise because he said eight to 10 people he supervises in the Department of Agriculture get paid more than he does. He wanted to make it clear that he works just as hard as his employees.
“Come work beside me any day of the week,” Odom said. “If I’ve got a ditch to dig today, I get right in there with my employees.”
Lt. Gov. Landrieu, Attorney General Foti and Commissioner Wooley all have said they would support a pay raise.
Denise Bottcher, press secretary for the governor, said Gov. Blanco has not had time to think about a pay raise. She had been focused on getting her tax incentive program approved by the Legislature.