House Bill 20

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 5-1-41, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE BASE SALARY OF LEGISLATORS FOR EACH REGULAR SESSION SHALL BE THE SAME AS THE HIGHEST BASE SALARY OF ANY MUNICIPAL ALDERMAN OR COUNCILMAN IN MISSISSIPPI AS OF DECEMBER 31 OF THE PRECEDING YEAR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 5-1-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

5-1-41. Beginning with the 2005 Regular Session of the Legislature of the State of Mississippi, each Senator and Representative of the Legislature shall receive as compensation at each regular session a salary equal to the highest base salary of any municipal alderman or councilman in Mississippi as of December 31 of the preceding year, or the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), whichever is greater, and the mileage allowance provided by Section 25-3-41, for each mile of the distance by the most direct route usually traveled in coming to and returning from the place where the Legislature sits. Beginning on April 16, 1997, each Senator and Representative shall receive for attending each extraordinary session or called session the sum of Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00) per day and mileage at the same rate as per regular session. In addition to the above, beginning on April 16, 1997, each Senator and Representative and the Lieutenant Governor shall receive the sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) per month for expenses incidental to his office for every full month of his term, except any month or major fraction thereof when the Legislature is convened in regular or extraordinary session; and payments shall be made to each Senator and Representative and the Lieutenant Governor by the State Treasurer between the first and tenth day of each month following the month for which the payments are due.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2004.