A review of Tennessee state legislators’ compensation suggests lawmakers representing large geographic areas get more money for travel within their districts and that an independent commission be created to consider future adjustments in payments, reports the News Sentinel.

The report also proposes consideration of changing state law to let legislators refuse payments and says the current per-diem expense payment system – which gives bigger checks to legislators living more than 50 miles from the state capitol – might be unfair to some members of the General Assembly.

The study by staff of the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, or TACIR, was mandated by a resolution – SJR463, sponsored by state Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mount Juliet – that was adopted unanimously by the House and Senate in March. (Note: Full report HERE.)

Overall, the study says Tennessee legislator compensation is “near the middle” of salaries paid to lawmakers in comparable states – a list including eight neighboring states plus Indiana and Louisiana, deemed to have comparable demographics.

…The report notes 21 other states, including the neighboring states of Arkansas and Missouri, have legislative compensation commissions to periodically review and adjust legislative pay.

In discussion of the report at last week’s meeting of the TACIR board, Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland observed it’s politically difficult for legislators to approve increases in their pay, even if justified, and a commission would “take the burden off members” – especially if, as is the case in some states, the commission’s recommendations are automatically adopted without further action by the Legislature.

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