RI's state lawmakers got a 4.1% raise. Here's why

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island's part-time state legislators have gotten a 4.1% raise.

Their annual salaries went up by $780.51 to $19,817.27 a year on July 1, without any action on their part.

What determines if lawmakers get a raise?

Salaries for state lawmakers are governed by Article VI, Section 3 of the state Constitution , which calls for legislators’ pay to be adjusted annually based on “changes in the cost of living, as determined by the United States government" during the previous 12 months.

In some years, that has translated into a pay cut for the 113 legislators. As the economy sank, their annual salaries actually dropped in July 2008 and 2009.

But as the economy picked up, their pay rose with it.

At least two legislators have declined the raise: Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson, who is not seeking reelection, and Rep. Arthur Corvese, who is.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI's state lawmakers got a 4.1% raise. Here's why