Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2025 By Bob Katzen If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST — Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList— the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterList will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https:// MASSterList/subscribe/ THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House and Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call examines the salaries and other benefi ts received by state senators. NEW HIGHER $82,046 BASE SALARY FOR SENATORS — The base salary for the state’s 40 state senators rose from $73,655 for the 2023-2024 session to $82,046 for the 20252026 session. That’s an 11.39 percent hike which means an additional $8,391 per senator. The estimated price tag for the hikes is $335,640. Gov. Maura Healey announced these hikes in January. Under state law, Legislative salaries are up for adjustment in January every two years, either up or down, under a 1998 constitutional amendment approved by a better than twoto-one margin by voters. It requires that every two years the salaries of the governor, the other fi ve constitutional statewide offi cers and the state’s 40 senators be increased or decreased based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measures the quarterly change in salaries and wages. It also requires that the same formula be used every two years to increase or decrease the stipends that all 40 senators receive for their service in Democratic or Republican leadership positions, as committee chairs or vice chairs and as the ranking Republican on some committees. Senators’ base salaries were $46,410 when the voters approved the automatic pay adjustments in 1998. Since that time, the salaries have been increased every two years except for a $306 pay cut for the 2011-2012 session; an $1,100 pay cut for the 2013-2014 session; and a salary freeze for the 2015-2016 legislative session. The new $82,046 salary means that the base Senate salary has been raised $35,636 or 76 percent, since the mandated salary adjustment became part of the state constitution in 1998. EXTRA PAY FOR ALL 40 SENATORS — All 40 senators receive an additional stipend, ranging from $30,207.04 to $119,631.81, above the $82,046 base salary, for their positions in the Democratic and Republican leadership, as committee chairs, vice chairs and the ranking Republican on some committees. The stipend is increased or decreased every two years based on data from the BEA that measures the quarterly change in salaries and wages. Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland), the top Democrat, earns the highest stipend of any senator: $119,631.81. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) the top Republican, earns an $89,723,85 stipend. Supporters say legislators in these important positions should be appropriately compensated for their many added responsibilities and hard work. Critics say the base salary is suffi cient and is eligible to be increased every two years. Here are the top 10 senators who are paid the highest salaries including the three categories of base pay, stipends and general expense pay allowance. Sen. Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) $224,107.08 Sen. Michael Rodrigues (DWestport) $216,929.17 Cynthia Creem (D-Newton) $216,630.09 Michael Barrett (D-Lexington) $201,676.12 Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) $201,676.12 Joan Lovely (D-Salem) $201,676.12 William Brownsberger (DBelmont) $201,676.11 Cynthia Friedman (D-Arlington) $194,199.13 Sen. Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) $194,199.12 Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro) $186,722.15 The senators who receive the lowest salary of $134,682.32 are Sens. Michael Brady (DBrockton); William Driscoll (DMilton); Patricia Jehlen (DSomerville); John Keenan (DQuincy); Robyn Kennedy (DWorcester); Liz Miranda (D-Boston); Michael Moore (D-Millbury); and Pavel Payano (DLawrence) $22,430.96 OR $29,907.95 FOR GENERAL EXPENSES — Each senator also receives an annual general expense pay allowance of $22,430.96 for members who live within a 50mile radius of the Statehouse and $29,907.95 for those who are located outside of that radius. This separate, flat rate expense allowance is taxable as income. It is designed to pay for some of the costs of senators’ district offi ces and other expenses including contributions to local civic groups and the printing and mailing of newsletters. Senators are not required to submit an accounting of how they spend the money. But they are allowed to deduct any expenses, permitted under federal law, from their gross income on their federal and state tax return. PARKING SPACES — Legislators are entitled to a parking space inside the Statehouse garage or at the nearby McCormack State Offi ce Building. For 2025, the fi rst $325 in monthly value of the space is a taxfree benefi t under federal and state guidelines that apply to all public and private employees, not just state legislators. Any value of the space above this amount is treated as taxable income. The value of the parking spaces in 2025 was determined by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to be $477 per month. Based on that fi gure, legislators would be taxed on the excess $152 monthly by the Internal Revenue Service and the state. HEALTH INSURANCE — Senators are eligible to choose from 11 health insurance plans offered by the state’s Group Insurance Commission, which manages the plans for 259,929 individuals—current and retired state workers, as well as certain municipal workers, and their dependents. Senators elected on or before July 1, 2003, pay 20 percent of the total premium and the state pays 80 percent. Those elected to their fi rst term on or after July 1, 2003 pay 25 percent while the state picks up only 75 percent. State and federal privacy regulations protect this information and it is not possible to obtain records about which plans individual legislators have purchased. The out-of-pocket monthly premiums paid by senators for family plans range from $369.98 to $655.62 per month. For individual plans, they pay from $149.82 to $300.64 per month. LIFE INSURANCE — Senators who purchase a health insurance policy from the state are also required to buy the state’s basic $5,000 life insurance policy. The costs for employees are based on age and whether the employee is a smoker or non-smoker. They range from 4 cents to $2.49 per month. The same 20/80 25/75 formula used for health insurance also applies to this life insurance. Senators also have the option to buy additional life insurance with a value of up to eight times their salary — up to a maximum of $1.5 million. The entire premium for the optional insurance is paid by the senator. LONG-TERM DISABILITY AND HEALTH CARE SPENDING ACCOUNT — Senators also have the option to open a Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) and Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), and to buy long-term disability insurance. The HCSA allows senators to set aside funds to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses with before-tax dollars while the DCAP allows them to set aside funds to pay for certain dependent care expenses with before-tax dol
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