All of Oklahoma's 149 state senators and representatives will get a pay cut of 8.8 percent in November 2018 after an independent nine-member panel narrowly voted to approve the reduction.
The Legislative Compensation Board voted 4–3 on Thursday to impose the pay cut effective on the next group of legislators elected next year.
Members of the panel are appointees of the governor, speaker of the House and pro tem of the Senate. Several said the decision was a difficult one, but that the total annual compensation for legislators of $62,000 was too generous given the salary of the average Oklahoman or state worker.
The 8.8 percent reduction would shift a legislator's base salary from $38,400 to $35,021. The additional pay for House and Senate leaders also will be reduced.