many states legislatures don’t run year round. they convene early in the year, and once they’ve voted on all legislation that they choose to bring in the floor they adjourn until the next year unless a need for a special session comes up.
As others have mentioned, a lot of state sessions are part time. If you think about it, they don’t REALLY need more. Anything of especially urgent need is probably going to be something going on internationaly, which the federal government takes care of. The state executive branch also most likely has some degree of power to act immediately for things like natural disasters. Local governments can react to more localized issues. Alot of their agenda is going to be rubber stamping things like budgets that need annual approval and are known about well in advance. If something unexpected comes up that they need to address immediately special sessions can be called to bring them all together to work it out.
It goes back to the days when legislators were mostly farmers. Harvest your crops in the fall, head to the capital to pass some laws, then back home for spring planting.
Most politicians are not actually paid much directly, and many aren’t paid enough to be anywhere near a full time job. Some entire Governors make under 100k a year. Let alone small time local people who make like, 20k or less at best.
It makes them look like they don’t accomplish much. What people underappreciate is that not accomplishing things is also an art for the government. Do you really want the government, every working day, to be writing and building new laws? The instability would be awful, and long term planning would rapidly become impossible for most average people. Most people don’t know 99% of what goes on in the government, let alone are able to rapidly adapt to changing conditions.
There’s an argument to be made that they should be actively working on ‘something’ related to governing most of the year, but they’d also need to routinely be paid enough to do that, on all level of government. I think they should be paid adequately, required to do just their governing job, and spend time not actively in session doing public stuff, or community research, etc.
This website lists the salaries of legislators’ salaries. Some are extremely low. Virginia, for example, pays its legislators $17,640-$18,000 per year.
Comments
many states legislatures don’t run year round. they convene early in the year, and once they’ve voted on all legislation that they choose to bring in the floor they adjourn until the next year unless a need for a special session comes up.
Most of their job now is campaigning for elections, not actually doing anything of value to the population
Live off your labor and tax dollars.
What state legislature are you referring to?
Lots of state legislatures are part time and don’t pay enough for a person to live on. They’re available for special sessions if need be.
October starts the next government year.
As others have mentioned, a lot of state sessions are part time. If you think about it, they don’t REALLY need more. Anything of especially urgent need is probably going to be something going on internationaly, which the federal government takes care of. The state executive branch also most likely has some degree of power to act immediately for things like natural disasters. Local governments can react to more localized issues. Alot of their agenda is going to be rubber stamping things like budgets that need annual approval and are known about well in advance. If something unexpected comes up that they need to address immediately special sessions can be called to bring them all together to work it out.
Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas only have regular legislative sessions in odd numbered years.
Once all the business is done, perhaps that’s better than having a bunch of bored politicians thinking up new ways to spend your money?
Raise money for re-election to better undermine your quality of life.
Insider trading keeps em busy
Raise money for reelection. Actually that’s all they do now anyway.
It goes back to the days when legislators were mostly farmers. Harvest your crops in the fall, head to the capital to pass some laws, then back home for spring planting.
Not much, unless they need to.
Most politicians are not actually paid much directly, and many aren’t paid enough to be anywhere near a full time job. Some entire Governors make under 100k a year. Let alone small time local people who make like, 20k or less at best.
It makes them look like they don’t accomplish much. What people underappreciate is that not accomplishing things is also an art for the government. Do you really want the government, every working day, to be writing and building new laws? The instability would be awful, and long term planning would rapidly become impossible for most average people. Most people don’t know 99% of what goes on in the government, let alone are able to rapidly adapt to changing conditions.
There’s an argument to be made that they should be actively working on ‘something’ related to governing most of the year, but they’d also need to routinely be paid enough to do that, on all level of government. I think they should be paid adequately, required to do just their governing job, and spend time not actively in session doing public stuff, or community research, etc.
https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/2024-legislator-compensation
This website lists the salaries of legislators’ salaries. Some are extremely low. Virginia, for example, pays its legislators $17,640-$18,000 per year.
Georgia legislature is 80 days at the beginning of the year. Legislators get $17k , more if they are chairmen.