Kevin Nicholson: Lawmakers Should View Service Like National Guard
April 3, 2022 | Wisconsin
One Republican candidate for governor in Wisconsin wants to pay lawmakers less in order to get them to think more about service.
Republican Kevin Nicholson wants to classify the State Assembly and State Senate as part-time jobs, and cut their $55,141 yearly salaries.
“My feeling is that pay and benefits should be paid out in accordance with work performance,” Nicholson told The Center Square. “Moving to a part-time legislature, a citizen legislature, will allow more people to serve their state and their communities.”
Nicholson says his plan to cut lawmaker pay is not “punitive.”
Nicholson is running for governor while thumbing his nose at legislative leaders in Wisconsin, particularly Republic Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
“I believe we have a broken political class,” Nicholson said. “I don’t think the whole legislature is going to turn over, but if [lower pay] brings in 25% new voices with grounded, real jobs, and their voices are added to the legislature, I think that’s an enormous win.”
The National Conference of State Legislatures says Wisconsin is near the top of the legislative pay scale at just over $55,000 a year in base-salary… (Excerpt from The Wisconsin Daily Star)
