Another bill would ask a citizens' panel how much to pay legislators.

Sen. Dan Clodfelter, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, said he filed the bill to get better advice on how to pay lawmakers as well as judges and members of the governor's administration.

Under the bill, a Citizens Commission on Compensation would be created. Thirteen members, a majority, would be chosen randomly from registered voters in each Congressional district.

Another 12 members would be appointed by the speaker of the House, the Senate president pro tem, the governor and the chief justice of the N.C. Supreme Court.

"The concept of the bill is to take the process out of just the hands of the elected officials themselves," he said. 

The commission's annual reports would still have to be adopted by legislators, however.

Previously: Bill would automatically raise legislative pay; other states pay less; pay affects who serves in legislature.

Ran Coble says legislative pay affects who serves.

The director of the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research said that the number of retirees in the state legislature has increased in recent years because of the relatively low pay.

In 2000, the nonprofit group studied pay in states with comparable populations, legislative workloads and days in session. That study found that only Texas and Georgia paid as little as North Carolina.

"The legislature's stuck in a pattern right now where they are virtually full-time legislators with part-time pay," he said. 

Legislative sessions last from January to August during long sessions and from May to August in short sessions, and often go longer, Coble noted. Study commissions and oversight committees meet at other times, and calls from constituents never stop.

The center did not make any recommendations, but Coble said the question is up to voters.

"The basic question for citizens is what kind of legislature do you want and what do you want to pay for that?" he said.

Previously: Bill would automatically raise legislative pay; other states pay less. 

North Carolina legislators' salaries are far below their counterparts.

A comparison of base salaries in the 23 state legislatures that the National Conference of State Legislatures considers comparable to North Carolina shows their pay is at the bottom.

State lawmakers here have a base salary of $13,951 per year. Only Nebraska ($12,000), South Carolina ($10,400) and Texas ($7,200) give less, while Alabama and Kentucky do not have an annual salary.

The median is $24,012, the amount Alaska pays. The highest is $48,708 in Hawaii.

The NCSL divides legislatures into three categories based on the time they spend on the job, their staff size and their pay.

North Carolina falls into the middle category, where legislators spend more than two-thirds of their time on political work and have a medium-sized staff, but do not make enough to be full-time politicians.

California's full-time legislators are the highest-paid, with $116,208 as a base salary. South Dakota legislators have the lowest pay, at $12,000 over a two-year term, although 11 other states pay only by the day or week.

A bill would raise legislative pay and mileage reimbursement rates automatically.

Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, a Carrboro Democrat, said she filed the bill to help pay for state lawmakers keep pace with inflation and increased demands.

When contacted by a reporter, she said she already had visions of editorials and political ads slamming legislators for talking about their own salaries during a bad budget year.

"Somebody is going to say we're feathering our own nest," she said. "Believe me, we don't even have sticks here. It's more like barbed wire."

Under the bill, the annual salary for legislators would increase at the same percentage rate as any across-the-board pay raises for state workers. The mileage reimbursement for legislative travel would also be tied to the federal rate.

Legislators currently make $13,951 and receive a $104 per diem every day they're in session. The mileage rate is currently 29 cents per mile.

In recent years, state workers have gotten raises of a couple percent a year, but they will likely not see any this year or next. The federal mileage rate is currently 55 cents.

Some recent Senate bills of note:

S.B. 386: Make Best Use of Corporate Tax Revenue, Sen. Dan Clodfelter

S.B. 397: Increase Cap on Charter Schools, Sen. Debbie Clary

S.B. 400: No Increase in UNC In-State Tuition or Fees, Sen. Tom Apodaca

S.B. 403: Victims Compensation Amendment, Sen. Doug Berger

S.B. 410: Increase Cig. Tax/Proceeds to MHTF, Sen. Martin Nesbitt

S.B. 417: National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, Sen. Clodfelter

S.B. 426: Legislative Compensation, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird