by M.C. Millman

Two of Rockland's electeds expressed dismay over the legislative pay raise, which passed on Thursday, with both houses of the New York State Legislature approving an annual pay raise of $32,000. 

This brings the previous legislature's salary of $110,000 to $142,000.

The vote was 81-52 in the Assembly and 33-23 in the Senate.

"I just voted against raising legislator salaries to $142K/yr," Senator Reichlin-Melnick tweeted. "Inflation hit everyone, and legislators increasing their pay when people are feeling the pain of economic pressure doesn't feel right. If this were the right thing to do, we could have handled it during regular session."

"When I was elected to Congress last month," tweeted Assemblyman-Elect Mike Lawler, taking a quote from the speech he delivered in Albany, which can be heard here, "I didn't think my final remarks to my Assembly colleagues would be in regards to a massive $32,000 pay raise they were voting to give themselves. Unfortunately, the majority in Albany decided to pass this out-of-touch bill."

The pay raise goes into effect on January 1.