Lawmakers will see a nearly three percent raise. That brings the legislative salary to just over 116-thousand dollars.  G-O-P Assemblyman Ted Gaines isn’t accepting it:

“It just doesn’t make sense for me, as a small business man to take a pay increase when you’re losing money.”

The state’s non-partisan legislative analyst has predicted a ten billion dollar hole in the state budget.  Steve Maviglio with the Democratic Assembly Speaker’s office notes lawmakers didn’t give themselves the pay hike.  A commission created by voters gave it the o-k months ago. 

“If you look adjusted to inflation, they’re making less than they did in 1967 and a lot of people have bills to pay and kids to college and they have to do that – they get no pensions.”

Governor Schwarzenegger has also weighed in.  He said “everyone should hold back and think twice about any of the raises right now.”

Constitutional Officers, including the Secretary of State and the Attorney General are also getting raises.