BREAKING NEWS: Dempsey to decline raise; L'Italien says she'll accept

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January 9, 2009

By Donna Capodelupo

Haverhill state Rep. Brian Dempsey announced Jan. 9 that he will decline a 5.5 percent pay raise triggered automatically by the Massachusetts Constitution.

Dempsey, whose entire legislative district is in Haverhill, said accepting the raise would be inappropriate "in a time when we are cutting critical services from the state budget."

Rep. Harriett Stanley, a West Newbury Democrat who represents a section of Riverside and Bradford, said she will donate the raise to charity, as she has done in previous years.

Rep. Barbara L'Italien, a North Andover Democrat who represents a section of Bradford and the Ayers Village section of Haverhill, said Jan 9 that she plans to accept the raise, noting it is based on the increase in the state's median family income over the previous two years.

Two years from now, she said, when legislative pay is calculated, lawmakers will likely see a pay cut.

In 1998, Massachusetts voters amended the state Constitution to increase or decrease legislators' pay by the same percentage as the increase or decrease of the median family income of the previous two years.

Gov. Deval Patrick's administration calculated the rate of increase for the past two years as 5.5 percent.

Dempsey and L'Italien both declined a similar pay raise of 6.5 percent in 2003, when the Commonwealth was experiencing a downturn and cuts in services. It was the first year of former Gov. Mitt Romney's administration, and the first in office for L'Italien.

Dempsey said by refusing the 5.5 percent raise this year, the increase will not be calculated into his pension upon retirement.

"I felt that it was important to decline this pay raise in light of the difficult financial situation that many Massachusetts citizens find themselves in," Dempsey said.

L'Italien said her decision to accept the raise this year is a result of her family's concerns over her husband's employment outlook. The company that he works for has been sold to an international owner, she said.