The commission that sets the pay for Arkansas' elected officials moved Tuesday to increase salaries for the state's elected constitutional officers and General Assembly members by 3% for fiscal 2022.
In a unanimous vote, members of the Independent Citizens Commission also voted to study further the compensation and duties for the offices. The salary recommendation will be formalized with a resolution at a later date, then sent to the state auditor for final approval.
Earlier this month, the panel voted to increase pay for the state's judges by 3%, a decision that was formalized with a resolution approved at Tuesday's meeting.
Commissioners indicated that they felt increasing the pay for constitutional officers and members of the Legislature at the same rate as judges was appropriate.
Arkansas has seven constitutional offices: the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and commissioner of state lands.
In the Arkansas General Assembly, there are 100 members in the Arkansas House and 35 in the Arkansas Senate. The speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tempore receive higher salaries than the other members.