Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 50 – Report No. 14
March 31 – April 4, 2025
Copyright © 2025 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House and Senate last week.
During the week of March 31-April 4, the House met for a total of nine minutes while the Senate met for a total of 34 minutes.
This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call examines the salaries and other benefits received by state senators.
NEW HIGHER $82,046 BASE SALARY FOR SENATORS – The base salary for the state’s 40 state senators rose from $73,655 for the 2023-2024 session to $82,046 for the 2025-2026 session. That’s an 11.39 percent hike which means an additional $8,391 per senator. The estimated price tag for the hikes is $335,640.
EXTRA PAY FOR ALL 40 SENATORS – All 40 senators receive an additional stipend, ranging from $30,207.04 to $119,631.81, above the $82,046 base salary, for their positions in the Democratic and Republican leadership, as committee chairs, vice chairs and the ranking Republican on some committees. The stipend is increased or decreased every two years based on data from the BEA that measures the quarterly change in salaries and wages.
$22,430.96 OR $29,907.95 FOR GENERAL EXPENSES – Each senator also receives an annual general expense pay allowance of $22,430.96 for members who live within a 50-mile radius of the Statehouse and $29,907.95 for those who are located outside of that radius.
PARKING SPACES – Legislators are entitled to a parking space inside the Statehouse garage or at the nearby McCormack State Office Building. For 2025, the first $325 in monthly value of the space is a tax-free benefit under federal and state guidelines that apply to all public and private employees, not just state legislators. Any value of the space above this amount is treated as taxable income.
HEALTH INSURANCE – Senators are eligible to choose from 11 health insurance plans offered by the state’s Group Insurance Commission, which manages the plans for 259,929 individuals—current and retired state workers, as well as certain municipal workers, and their dependents.
LIFE INSURANCE – Senators who purchase a health insurance policy from the state are also required to buy the state’s basic $5,000 life insurance policy. The costs for employees are based on age and whether the employee is a smoker or non-smoker. They range from 4 cents to $2.49 per month. The same 20/80 25/75 formula used for health insurance also applies to this life insurance. Senators also have the option to buy additional life insurance with a value of up to eight times their salary – up to a maximum of $1.5 million. The entire premium for the optional insurance is paid by the senator.
LONG-TERM DISABILITY AND HEALTH CARE SPENDING ACCOUNT – Senators also have the option to open a Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) and Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), and to buy long-term disability insurance. The HCSA allows senators to set aside funds to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses with before-tax dollars while the DCAP allows them to set aside funds to pay for certain dependent care expenses with before-tax dollars. This participation reduces their federal and state income taxes. The entire premium for long-term disability is paid by senators.
DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE – Senators are eligible to choose one of two dental/vision insurance plans. Current monthly employee premium costs paid by senators for family plans range from $15.16 to $20.52, while individual plans range from $4.91 to $6.64. All senators pay 15 percent of the premium and the state pays 85 percent.
SENATORS WHO LIVE 50 MILES FROM THE STATEHOUSE ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE TO PAY A REDUCED OR NO FEDERAL INCOME TAX ON THEIR LEGISLATIVE SALARY
SENATORS ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR PER DIEMS
TOTAL SALARY FOR SENATORS – Here is the total annual salary for local senators, including the three categories of base pay, stipends and general expense pay allowance.
Sen. Jason Lewis – $171,768.17
For more information and details on each bill, roll call attendance, and other relevant information, please visit the Wakefield Daily Item at www.localheadlinenews.com.
