Most lawmakers voted for a bill last year that, in effect, ratified 3 percent cuts in pay and hours worked for most state workers. Senate Bill 5860, also encouraged elected officials to follow suit voluntarily.
But only four lawmakers waived pay until The Olympian reported on the new law in late July.
Rank-and-file lawmakers earn just $42,106 a year, top Senate and House leaders earn $50,106, so the voluntary pay cuts are clearly more symbolic than substantive in reducing government outlays. But many legislators said they needed to lead by example or show they were sharing in the sacrifice of budget cuts that helped close a $5 billion budget gap in 2011.
When lawmakers return to town Monday for a 60-day regular session, they face a new gap of $1.5 billion.
The latest lawmaker to cut his pay was Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island. Hansen was appointed last year to replace Democrat Christine Rolfes of Bainbridge Island. Rolfes moved from the House to the Senate to fill a vacancy.
At one point, 71 lawmakers had agreed to waive a portion of their pay, and at one point that included a majority in the Senate – 25 of 49 members.
Then Sen. Scott White, D-Seattle, died tragically of heart problems and two other senators who cut their pay decided to stop. Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, ended his waiver on Dec. 1, and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, ended hers on Jan. 1, according to the Secretary of the Senate’s Office.
Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, was appointed to replace White and waived a portion of his pay, just as he had done as a House member.
The full list of 23 pay-waiving members in the Senate:
2. Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla
3. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge
4. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane
5. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens
6. Steve Litzow, R-Bellevue
7. Joe Fain, R-Auburn
8. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane
9. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor
10. Don Benton, R-Vancouver
11. Karen Fraser, D-Olympia
12. Curtis King, R-Yakima
13. Jeff Baxter, R-Spokane
14. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma
15. Randi Becker, R-Eatonville
16. Paull Shin, D- Mukilteo
17. Andy Hill, R-Redmond
18. Kevin Ranker, D-Friday Harbor
19. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood
20. Ed Murray, D-Seattle
21. Tim Sheldon, D-Seattle
22. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville.
23. David Frockt, D-Seattle.
[NOTE: All waived 3 percent of pay.]
The House Chief Clerk’s Office said 46 are waiving pay in the 98-seat House:
2. Troy Kelley, D-Tacoma
3. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor
4. Ann Rivers, R-LaCenter
5. Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup
6. Christopher Hurst, D-Enumclaw
7. Michael Sells, D-Everett
8. Tina Orwall, D-Normandy Park
9. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle
10. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor
11. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim
12. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm
13. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island
14. Gary Alexander, R-Thurston County
15. Norma Smith, R-Clinton
16. Hans Zeiger, R-Edgewood
17. Andy Billig, D-Spokane
18. Susan Fagan, R-Pullman
19. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton
20. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver
21. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma
22. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park
23. Larry Haler, R-Richland
24. Bradley Klippert, R-Kennewick
25. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland
26. Patrick Sullivan, D-Covington
27. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax
28. Charles Ross, R-Naches
29. Norman Johnson, R-Yakima
30. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane
31. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe
32. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney, D-Seattle
33. Chris Reykdal, D-Tumwater
34. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver
35. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis
36. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia
37. Tami Green, D-Pierce County
38. Kristine Lytton, D-Anacortes
39. Mark Hargrove, R-Covington
40. Terry Nealey, R-Dayton
41. Zack Hudgins, D-Tukwila
42. Ross Hunter, D-Medina
43. Katrina Asay, R-Milton
44. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim
45. Cathy Dahlquist, R-Enumclaw.
46. Eileen Cody, D-West Seattle.
[NOTE: Chopp, Kelley, Seaquist and Van De Wege requested cuts of at least 5 percent.]
Pay for elected officials has set since the late 1980s by a citizen commission authorized by a constitutional amendment.
Some lawmakers like Republican Sen. Joe Zarelli of Ridgefield say they favor having all pay treated the same. With that in mind, Zarelli sponsored a constitutional amendment last year that would have given the commission leeway to reduce pay during hard times. Senate Joint Resolution 8202 passed in the Senate Ways and Means Committee
but later stalled; Zarelli has said he intends to push the bill again.
Zarelli is the only one of four top budget writers in the Legislature who did not dock his own pay. The three others who did are Democratic Sen. Ed Murray of Seattle, Democratic Rep. Ross Hunter of Medina and Republican Rep. Gary Alexander of Thurston County. Top leaders in each party's caucus in the House and Senate also cut their pay, starting with Speaker Chopp early last year.
Four statewide officials - including Gov. Chris Gregoire, Treasurer Jim McIntire, Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and schools chief Randy Dorn - waived their pay; the other five said they would donate to charities instead.
