Comparing what Okla. lawmakers make to those in surrounding states

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OKLAHOMA CITY – With the recent increase in salary for state legislators, Oklahoma moved from 20th to 15th on the list of highest legislative salaries according to Ballotpedia’s Comparison of State Legislative Salaries.

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OKLAHOMA CITY – With the recent increase in salary for state legislators, Oklahoma moved from 20th to 15th on the list of highest legislative salaries according to Ballotpedia’s Comparison of State Legislative Salaries.

While some salaries, like those of California and New York eclipse six figures, many states barely pay salaries at all. In fact, New Mexico pays it’s “part-time” legislators nothing at all for a salary but does offer $161 per diem. New Hampshire is the stingiest, with state legislators being paid just $200 per two-year term, with no per diem. Oklahoma offers a $154 per diem on top of salary. The National Conference of State Legislatures places the legislatures in three different categories depending on the size of staff, compensation and the amount of time spent legislating. They categorize them as Green Legislatures (full-time, well-paid, large staff), Gray Legislatures (hybrid, the majority of state legislatures fall into this category) and Gold Legislatures (part-time, low-pay, small staff). Oklahoma is considered a hybrid or gray legislature, in which legislators claim to spend around two-thirds of a full-time job working in a legislative capacity.

Full-time legislatures are said to spend upwards of 80% of a full-time job, while part-time legislatures spend half a full-time job or less. Legislative salaries tend to increase based on the amount of time spent in relation to a full-time job. All Green legislators are paid more than the hybrids, and most part-times are paid less than hybrids. Most of the surrounding states are considered hybrid legislatures, with Kansas and New Mexico considered “Gold-Lite” based on their compensation per amount of time worked. Salaries for surrounding states are as follows:

Texas: $7,200 per year, $190 per diem (Hybrid)

New Mexico: $0 per year, $161 per diem (Gold-Lite)

Colorado: $40,242 per year, $45 per diem or 85% of federal rate outside Denver (Hybrid)

Kansas: $88.66 per day, $144 per diem (Gold-Lite)

Missouri: $35,915 per year, $115.20 per diem (Hybrid)

Arkansas: $40,188 per year, $59 per diem or $155 outside Little Rock (Hybrid)

Louisiana: $22,800 per year, $164 per diem (Hybrid)

Eighteen other states utilize a commission or board to determine legislative pay, like that of Oklahoma. Arizona and Nebraska require any recommendation of their boards to be approved by the voters before going into effect.