There are 213 Albany lawmakers, but the legislative pay commission of state Controller Tom DiNapoli, city Controller Scott Stringer and former state and city Controllers Carl McCall and Bill Thompson has only heard from one, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
Heastie wants the $79,500 base salary raised and is refusing reforms, notably banning outside income and extra cash lulus for favored members. He likes the corrupting lulus — from his own $41,500 down to $9,000 — to keep members under his thumb.
In the Senate, everyone gets moola, with 87 lulus for 63 senators. The Assembly has 55 Democratic lulus and 53 for Republicans. But Heastie oversees 106 other Democrats, leaving the 52 least senior Democrats with nada. Which is why they are desperate for any raise and why he doesn’t want to kill lulus.
The best reform: A big raise, wiping out lulus. Gaining the most, will the junior members speak up for themselves?
