Both state legislature representatives for Chautauqua County are against the proposed increase in salary for state lawmakers.

Earlier this month, a state Committee on Legislative and Executive Compensation voted to raise the pay for state legislators for the first time in 20 years. A 61 percent increase will be phased in during three years, with legislative pay going from the current $79,500 a year to $110,000 on New Year’s Day. Additional increases in 2020 and 2021 will bump up the total to $130,000.

Only California and Pennsylvania pay their legislators a higher base salary than New York does. If salaries in those states remain unchanged, New York’s state lawmakers would be the highest-paid in the country by 2021.

State Sen. Cathy Young, R-Olean, said there needs to be meaningful reforms to battle corruption in areas such as procurement in state contracts and projects to end the culture that has ripped off taxpayers.

she said.

Young said she believes state legislators should have a chance to vote on the committee’s conclusions.

she said.

State Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-Jamestown, also opposes the pay increase and has requested a special session of the state Legislature to revise the salary proposals.

he said.

The compensation committee also recommended that certain professionals like accountants, financial advisers, insurance brokers and attorneys would not be able to earn outside income while other legislators who are employed by a company or business would be able to earn up to 15 percent of their legislative salary from outside income.

Goodell said if the proposal, which would go into effect Jan. 1, 2020, was to become law, he would have to stop practicing law as an attorney in Jamestown.

he said.

The four-member pay committee is made up of state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli; New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer; SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Carl McCall, who is also a former state comptroller; and former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson.

The committee also recommended increasing the pay of the governor from the current $179,000 salary to $250,000 in 2021. That increase would need to be approved by lawmakers.

The legislative pay raise will go into effect automatically on Jan. 1 unless lawmakers vote to reject it. The pay committee must submit its decisions in a formal report by Monday. Lawmakers aren’t scheduled to reconvene until the 2019 session begins Jan. 9.