Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-04-08
yHE STATE LgeisLAruass.

5hE STATE EeLSdtSiAtuhES.
How cjien Sessions Are Held and What the
Members Are Paid.
The average per diem is $4.87 !,
and the average length of the ses-
sion in those States that pay per
diem is 63 days and a fraction.
Arkansas pays per diem of SO and
the sessions last from 90 to ITO days..
The highest per diem is SO and is
paid by California and Nevada. The
lowest is So and is paid by Kansas,
Oregon and Vermont. The longest
session held by Legislature whose
members receive per diem is 1870
days which is the average length of
the session in Michigan. The shortest
is 40 days in Oregon, South Caro-
lima and Wyoming.
| Now, as to the States that pay q
fixed salary. The highest salary is
$1,000, which is paid in New York.
Pennsylvania pays $1,000 session,
but the sessions are held biennial,
while New York's are annual. Fur
thermore, the New York Legislature
is in session not to exceed 1875 days,
while the sessions in Pennsylvania
lasts five months. The lowest salary
is $3.50 per session, which is paid in
Maine. Where fixed salary is paid
the sessions are not limited. The
longest sessions of salaried Legisla-
lures are in Connecticut, where the
sessions last from five to six months,
and in Illinois, where they last from
three to six months. The shortest
session is ten weeks in New Hamp-
shire.
| Of special interest to Arkansas
just now are the compensations paid
legislators in those States that have
the fixed salary system.
Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio,
Pennsylvania and New York pay
Legislators salaries of from $3.50 to
1900, but these States are much
wealthier and more populous than
Arkansas, whose population is 1,311,-
564. Iowa, with a population of
2,231, 1858 has biennial sessions and
pays members of the Legislature
$3.50 per term. The average length
of the sessions is 80 days.
Mississippi, with population of
| 1,551,270, which is more inhabitants
than Arkansas has, adopted a new
constitution in 1890, and under it
pursues the following plan as to ses-
sions of the Legislature and pay
of it's members: The Legislature
meets in quadrennial session, say, in
1900. The average length of the
sessions is three months, and the
salary Of members is 400. In 1902
the body would meet in quadrennial
special session, which shall not con-
tinue longer than thirty days, unless
the Governor shall extend the session
for specified time. For attending
a special session the legislators re-
ceive per diem of SIS.
| New Jersey, with population of
1885, ,669, has annual legislative ses-
sions which last from eleven to fif-
teen weeks, although during the first
six or eight weekly sessions usually
comprise about one day. The salary
is $500 for the term.
| Wisconsin, with a population of
2,069,042, has biennial legislative
sessions, whose average length is 100
days. The salary is $500 for the
term.
The question has been often asked
is Arkansas since the discussion about
amendment No. 7 began, what about
special sessions if legislators are
paid fixed salary As has been
pointed out in Mississippi salary is
paid for regular sessions and a per
diem for special sessions. In Illinois
each legislator is paid $1,000 salary
for each regular biennial session and
a per diem of IS for each special
session, if any be called.
All States except Delaware and
New Jersey pay their legislators
mileage.
OF the As States, only one, Ala.
bama, which has just adopted new
constitution, has quadrenniai ses.
stons. In Mississippi the regular ses-
sions intervene 80 that the Legisla-
ture really meets biennially. Count
ing Mississippi, all the States hold
biennial sessions except Alabama,
quadrennial, and Georgia, Massa-
chusetts, New Jersey, New York,
Rhode Island and South Carolina,
where the sessions are held an
nually.
In Michigan the salary of mem.
bers of the Legislature from the
lower peninsula is So per day, while
that of the members from the upper
peninsular may be raised by special
act of the Legislature to IS per
day.
In Missouri the legislators receive
So day for the first 70 days of
each session and 81 day for
every day thereafter, except during
sessions for revision of the statutes,
when they receive IS day for the
first 120 days and 81 for each day
OF service thereafter.
In Texas the per diem is $5 for
the first 60 days, and after that
so day.
In Utah the sessions usually
hold a short time after the 60 DAYS
limit, but no compensation is paid
after 60 days.
Many States pay the President
OF the Senate and Speaker of the
House higher compensation than