Kansas lawmakers are allowing a 93% pay raise for themselves to take effect next year

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is set to nearly double state legislators’ pay at the start of next year. That will make their compensation better than it is for their counterparts in a majority of states. The increase is nearly $28,000 a year for rank-and-file legislators. That boosts their total compensation to nearly $58,000 from $30,000. That’s an increase of 93%. The pay increase appeared to have bipartisan support. But lawmakers never voted directly on it. They instead set up a bipartisan pay commission last year. Its proposal was set to take effect unless both legislative chambers passed a resolution rejecting it by Wednesday.