After a bill failed to get passed this legislative session, Iowa Representative David Young believes that the House should address legislative pay, but not at the current suggested rate.

A bill that was under consideration would have given statewide elected officials a $10,000 pay increase. Young tells Raccoon Valley Radio that Iowa is amongst the lowest in the country in paying elected officials at $25,000 a year, but he rejected the bill, and it still passed the House, but did not come up for a vote in the Senate. Young does want to properly address the low legislative pay, just not have legislators in charge of it themselves.

“Rather than us legislators vote themselves a pay raise because everyday Iowans who are working can’t just give themselves a pay raise. I thought it would be better if maybe we had a third party, a commission, or a board analyze this issue and make recommendations on whether or not legislative pay should be increased and at what level.”

Young is an advocate of finding a solution to addressing the issue using appropriate measures as he points out that it can be difficult for a young legislator with a family to support themselves, but wants to approach it from the right perspective.