Given the sluggish economy, State Senator Mark Grisanti says this is no time for a legislative pay raise.
Legislators' salary is currently about $80,000 annually plus per-diem. The Buffalo Republican says when the issue was brought up, he and many of his colleagues pledged to vote against it.
"This job is a privilege, not a right. You should be happy to serve the public and have integrity while you're doing so. If you don't like the pay scale and you're in the position already, then leave the position and find something else to do," Grisanti said Friday.
Earlier this week Governor Andrew Cuomo said he would not even consider a pay raise unless the people's business was being done in a thorough, responsible way.
Cuomo said any raise to lawmaker's pay must go hand-in-hand with an increase to the minimum wage.