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Majority of New Yorkers back full-time Legislature, no pay raise

Feb 02, 2016 12:02 am

Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential according to a new Siena College Poll out Mon., Feb. 1, the majority of New York voters say it is time to make the state Legislature truly full time, but they are not as sure about giving lawmakers a pay raise in exchange for banning outside income. Sixty percent of respondents are okay with forcing lawmakers to go full time, but 55 percent do not want to increase their salaries above the current $79,500 base pay. Voters in New York City are most interested in making the Legislature full-time and giving the members a raise. The upstate voters surveyed backed a ban on outside income and opposed a pay raise. The same respondents also said Albany corruption is a serious problem, but public education should be Governor Andrew Cuomo's top focus this year. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.