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An Act To Suspend the Cost-of-living Adjustment for Legislators' Salaries for the First Regular Session of the 124th Legislature
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas,  current law provides for an annual cost-of-living adjustment for Legislator salaries; and
Whereas,  this measure suspends that cost-of-living adjustment for the current session of the 124th Legislature; and
Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §2, first ¶,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. F, §1, is further amended to read:
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 member of the Senate and the House of Representatives must receive a cost-of-living adjustment in annual legislative salary, except that the percentage increase may not exceed 5% in any year. Beginning December 1, 2001, 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 121st Legislature or, the First Regular Session of the 122nd Legislature or the First Regular Session of the 124th Legislature. In addition, each Legislator is entitled to be paid 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. Retroactivity. This Act applies retroactively to December 3, 2008.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.
 
SUMMARY
This bill suspends the cost-of-living adjustment for salaries of Legislators for the First Regular Session of the 124th Legislature.