OLYMPIA — Charities on the North Olympic Peninsula once again will benefit if the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials grants pay raises to state legislators.
The independent commission proposed Thursday that state legislators receive a 2.5 percent pay increase in 2005 and again in 2006.
It has scheduled four public hearings on the proposal in Olympia, Wenatchee, Vancouver and Seatac before voting on a final salary schedule in May.
Rep. Jim Buck, R-Joyce, House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, and Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, all said on Friday if the pay raise is approved, they will donate their salary increases to charity.
Buck, Kessler and Hargrove represent the 24th District, which includes Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
Past donations
The trio also donated the 2 percent increase that took effect September 2004 to charity, as did then-Gov. Gary Locke and many other legislators.
Washington state legislators receive an annual salary of $34,227.
The speaker of the House and Senate majority leader receive $42,227. The House and Senate minority leaders receive $38,227 each.
The proposed 2.5 percent increase would increase most legislators’ annual salary to $35,084 in September 2005, a boost of $856.
Then it would increase an additional 2.5 percent, or $876, to $35,960 in September 2006 under the commission’s proposal.