Sen. Ross On Pay Raise Approval For Legislators: 'I Confidently Voted No'

WAYLAND, MA — State Senator Richard Ross, whose district includes Natick and Wayland, released the following statement regarding the Legislature’s vote and approval of the legislative pay raise:

“Yesterday afternoon, the Senate voted on legislation to raise the legislative pay; a bill that would cost $6.5 million over the remaining months of fiscal 2017, and as much as $18 million in fiscal 2018. The bill passed in a 31-9 vote and I confidently voted no. This bill, increasing the pay for all 200 legislators and the state’s six constitutional officers and judges, was introduced just last week. While some believed this pay adjustment was long overdue, it came at a time when municipalities struggle for local aid, school districts need more funding, and budget cuts are frequent.

The millions of dollars going towards these stipends would have made a great difference for the people of the Commonwealth. As we await action from Governor Baker, I am determined to continue advocating for the priorities of my district, even more so in areas such as economic development, cost efficiency, local aid and government transparency.”