Iowa’s state elected officials could get a major pay raise under a bill advanced by Iowa Senate lawmakers on Tuesday.
The bill, Senate File 464, would increase legislators’ salaries by $20,000 and the governor’s salary by $100,000, a nearly 80 percent increase for both positions. The bill also includes annual cost of living increases for lawmakers and statewide elected officials similar to what non-union state employees receive currently or 3 percent, whichever is less.
Lawmakers’ increases wouldn’t take effect until 2027 when a new general assembly is sworn in after the 2026 election, and the pay increase for statewide elected offices — such as the governor, attorney general, state treasurer, lieutenant governor, and state auditor — would take effect immediately. Cost of living increases would start in 2028.
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The bill would also increase allowances for constituency postage, travel, telephone costs, and other expenses by $150.
The elected officials’ annual salaries that would be increased include:
- Legislators: $20,000
- Legislative leadership: $30,000
- House Speaker Pro Tempore and Senate President Pro Tempore: $22,000
- Governor: $100,000
- Lieutenant governor and other statewide-elected offices: $76,788
- Attorney General: $86,331
Meaning their new annual salaries would be:
- Legislators: $45,000
- Legislative leadership: $67,500
- House Speaker Pro Tempore and Senate President Pro Tempore: $49,000
- Governor: $230,000
- Lieutenant governor and other statewide-elected offices: $180,000
- Attorney General: $210,000
Currently, lawmakers are given $178 per day for per diem costs like housing and food with Polk County lawmakers getting $133.50 per day of the legislative session. Lawmakers are reimbursed for up to 100 days on odd years and 110 on even years, totaling $17,800 annually. Lawmakers are also reimbursed 50 cents per mile for travel.
Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said he is unsure if there is support in the committee to move the bill forward but noted the governor has said she would support the bill if lawmakers can pass it.
Schultz said he intends to amend the bill to make all pay increases effective in 2027, to sunset the cost of living increases after 15 years, and reduce the proposed increase in the lieutenant governor’s salary.
The bill comes after Iowa House lawmakers approved an increase to state-elected officials salaries’ last year, but the bill was never taken up in the Senate.
Former Iowa Rep. Phil Thompson, R-Boone, retired from the legislature last year because he was unable to make the pay for the legislature work in his family’s budget after having his first child.
“In my third term, I was blessed with my daughter, and at that point, I realized I had to recalibrate my priorities and put my head down and earn and just couldn’t afford to be here anymore,” Thompson said. “And when I made that decision, I realized how many Iowans that are that have young families that are working-class Iowans, that really anybody that comes from modest to moderate means how many of them are boxed out of serving in office.”
The bill will move to be considered by the whole Senate State Government Committee later this week.