Not many members of the Massachusetts Legislature will refuse to accept a recent pay raise. Only two members, Democrat Representatives Chris Hendricks of New Bedford and Anne Gobi of Spencer, have indicated that they will not take the pay raise. Several others plan to take the money and donate it to charity.
Four of the six statewide elected officials – Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Attorney General Maura Healey, and Treasurer Deb Goldberg – have also declined the pay raise.
Under a 2017 law enacted by state lawmakers, the governor must decide based on several factors, including median household income, whether to adjust the pay of the Commonwealth s constitutional officers and members of the legislature. Using the formula approved in 2017, constitutional officers are eligible for a 4.89 percent increase in their base pay while legislators would get a 6.46 percent base pay increase.