This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I was interested to read that on just the third day of the Utah Legislature, the House passed and sent on to the Senate a bill giving legislators a salary of $16,380 for the 45-day session ("Utah lawmakers move to change their pay," Tribune, Jan. 30).
Plus, more for those in leadership positions. Plus, hotel and meals for those who travel too far to go home each day. Plus, of course, the insurance package, which includes Medicare supplemental insurance in retirement.
Since legislators only work 33 of those 45 days, their salary compensation will be $496.36 per work day. Not a bad chunk of change for public servants.
If teachers were compensated at that same rate for only the days included in the actual contract, their salary would be $92,323. A 25-year veteran teacher with a Ph.D. makes about two-thirds of that. And what would Utah Highway Patrol or other public servants make at that same daily rate?
Wouldn't it be nice if legislators took care of their constituents as well as they take care of themselves?
Virginia Riley
Centerville