Carcieri asks legislators to forgo pay raise

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Donald L. Carcieri last week called on members of the R.I. General Assembly to forgo the pay increases they have received since 2002, and to begin paying a share of the cost of their health insurance premiums.
Carcieri’s call, which came amid criticism of the governor’s proposal to grant raises to department directors earlier this year, was an attempt to further rein in state spending, the governor said.
According to a statement issued by the governor’s office last week, legislators have received six different pay raises in the last six years and, unlike other state employees, still pay no share of their taxpayer-funded health insurance premium.
State legislators received a pay increase of 3.2 percent effective June 24. Legislators also received pay raises of 1.5 percent in 2002, 2.4 in 2003, 1.84 in 2004, 2.94 in 2005, and 3.5 in 2006.
Meanwhile, Cariceri said, state department directors have not received a cost-of-living adjustment since 2002. During that time, state employees received four separate pay increases of 3, 3, 4 and 4 percent. •