California Commission may reduce state officials' salaries

The Sacramento Bee reports:

A state commission decided Tuesday to freeze the pay of legislators and statewide elected officials, and sought a legal opinion on whether it can reduce the salaries.

Given the precarious condition of state finances and the drastic cuts to government services that are under consideration, members of the California Citizens Compensation Commission said this was no time to raise the pay of legislators, the governor, lieutenant governor, and a several other constitutional officers.

But commission Chairman Charles Murray and member Kathy Sands also asked for a legal opinion on whether the commission can reduce salaries, and if so, how it can be done. The commission could meet in late May or early June in Sacramento to consider that move. Benefits would not be affected.

"We have a deficit of $7 billion" that news reports say will double by this summer, Murray, of San Marino, said during the short meeting. "Everybody has to take a cut."

Sands, a retired banker and former mayor of Auburn, said a vote to reduce top government officials' salaries would send a message about their performance.

"We don't have a budget and they're not working any overtime to get it done," she said. "People have said that to me. They're not doing their job."

But two other members said they would oppose salary reductions.

"I don't think at this point it's time to go into panic mode," said Thomas Dominguez, an investigator for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

State lawmakers make $116,208 a year, although legislative leaders make more. The governor position makes $212,179, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger does not accept a salary.