Yes, we have to cut the size of our legislature. With 134 representatives and 67 senators, we have the largest legislature in the United States per capita representing 5.3 million people per our last census. No longer are we in the house and buggy days. It’s time to amend the Constitution. The political party that takes the initiative to reduce our legislature will be well rewarded.

Many states are considering or have reduced the number of their legislators: Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Nebraska, Kansas and many more; it’s time, our legislature is in session. Check the states around us, they all have smaller legislative bodies.

In Brian Bakst’s Associated Press article about the state’s compensation council, it stated that the governor and our state representatives need a raise of $9,750. If that’s the case, reduce the legislature in half first.

It costs the taxpayer $67,075 for a representative and $69,773 for a senator on average for a 142-day session.

What happened to the citizens for rule of law and their attorney Erick Kaardel?

No we have a bill before the Legislature to raise 30 commissioners salaries $35,000 plus staff, and the poor-working person is getting a raise of 2 percent on average.

 

William Schaffer

Austin