Politics & Government

NK's Four State Legislators Turn Down Pay Raise

Dawson Hodgson, James Sheehan, and Doreen Costa are among the state legislators who have declined the 2.1 percent raise.

This story was amended at 5 p.m., July 30.

When the new fiscal year began July 1, there was a little more money for Rhode Island state legislators, 2.1 percent more, but all four of North Kingstown legislators have turned down the pay raise, citing the poor economy and the need for shared sacrifice.

Sen. James Sheehan (D-Dist. 36), Sen. Dawson Hodgson (R-Dist. 35), Rep. Doreen Costa (R-Dist. 31), and Rep. Bob Craven (D-Dist. 32) have said they are refusing the pay raise.

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The salary increase boosts pay for the part-time legislators by about $300, to $14,947 a year. The pay went up without a vote. A provision in the Rhode Island Constitution calls for their pay to be adjusted annually "based on changes in the cost of living, as determined by the United States government during a 12-month period ending in the immediately preceding year."

Hodgson and Costa both said they have refused legislative pay raises since they were elected in 2010.

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“The first time, I was unaware and when I figured it out I asked it be retroactively declined,” said Hodgson. “How can we in good conscious accept an increase in our pay when our public workers have had their salaries frozen and our retirees have had their COLAs suspended.”

“The way I look at it is, we voted on the pension reform to take away the COLAs so why should we get a raise?” said Costa. “You’re in this job, you do it because you love it. You don’t do it for the money.”

Sheehan has been a state senator for 13 years. He started declining the pay raises three or four years ago, he said, when the recession really hit.

“That underscored the need in my mind. As long as we’re struggling, I just don’t think it’s appropriate,” he said.

Sheehan and Hodgson both noted it’s a symbolic gesture more than anything. And, Hodgson acknowledged, it’s not quite a “perfect protest.”

“The one downside is we all thought the money goes to the state general fund,” he said. But instead, the money stays with the Joint Committee on Legislative Services, which is controlled by the leaders of the General Assembly.

Still, said Hodgson, “on principle, we think we did the right thing."


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