An Act To Ensure the Continuance of a Citizen Legislature by Tying Future Pay to the State Minimum Wage
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0974
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: BERRY, OSHER, SKOLFIELD
Amends: 3 MRSA §2

Legislative Document
No. 974
H.P. 720
House of Representatives, March 9, 2021
An Act To Ensure the Continuance of a Citizen Legislature by 
Tying Future Pay to the State Minimum Wage
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BERRY of Bowdoinham.
Cosponsored by Representatives: OSHER of Orono, SKOLFIELD of Weld.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  3 MRSA §2, first ¶, as amended by PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. QQQQ, §1, is 
further amended to read:
Each Until the first Wednesday of December 2024, each member of the Senate and 
House of Representatives, beginning with the first Wednesday of December 2000 and 
thereafter, is entitled to $10,815 in the first year and $7,725 in the 2nd year of each 
biennium, except that if a Legislator who is a recipient of retirement benefits from the 
federal Social Security Administration files a written request with the Executive Director 
of the Legislative Council within one week after the biennium commences, the Legislator 
is entitled to $9,270 in each year of the biennium.  Each Beginning the first Wednesday of 
December 2024 and thereafter, in each year of a biennium each member of the Senate and 
House of Representatives is entitled to be paid the equivalent of the minimum wage, as 
defined in Title 26, section 664, subsection 1, times 2,000. Until the first Wednesday of 
December 2024, each member of the Senate and the House of Representatives must receive 
a an annual cost-of-living adjustment in annual legislative salary, except that the percentage 
increase may not exceed 5% in any year, and except that the percentage increase may not 
exceed 3% beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 in any year.  Beginning 
December 1, 2001 Until the first Wednesday of December 2024, the salary for each 
legislative session must be adjusted each December 1st by the percentage change in the 
Consumer Price Index for the most recently concluded fiscal year; except that no member 
of the Senate or the House of Representatives may receive a cost-of-living adjustment in 
annual legislative salary for the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature, and 
except that no member of the Senate or the House of Representatives may receive a cost-
of-living adjustment in annual legislative salary for the Second Regular Session of the 
125th Legislature and the First Regular Session and the Second Regular Session of the 
126th Legislature, and any percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the fiscal 
years ending June 30, 2011,  June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013 may not be applied to the 
base salary.  In addition, each Legislator is entitled to be paid once each week for travel at 
each legislative session once each week at the same rate per mile to and from that 
Legislator's place of abode as state employees receive, the mileage to be determined by the 
most reasonable direct route, except that Legislators may be reimbursed for tolls paid for 
travel on the Maine Turnpike as long as they have a receipt for payment of the tolls, such 
tolls to be reimbursed when Legislators use the Maine Turnpike in traveling to and from 
sessions of the Legislature or in performance of duly authorized committee assignments.  
Each Legislator is entitled to mileage on the first day of the session, and those amounts of 
salary and expenses at such times as the Legislature may determine during the session, and 
the balance at the end of the session.
Sec. 2.  Statutory referendum procedure; submission at statewide election; 
form of question; effective date.  This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the 
State at a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act. 
The municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, 
towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide 
election, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following 
question:
"Do you favor changing the pay received by members of the Senate and House of 
Representatives to equal the pay received by a worker earning the hourly minimum 
wage and working 2,000 hours per year?"
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square 
below the word "Yes" or "No."  The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared 
in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in 
the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature.  The Governor shall review the 
returns. If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the Governor shall 
proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days after the date of 
the proclamation.
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum.
SUMMARY
This bill sets the annual legislative salary for each year of a biennium as equivalent 
to the earnings of a worker earning hourly minimum wage and working 2,000 hours 
per year beginning in 2025 subject to a voter referendum.