WHAT ARE STATE OFFICIALS WORTH

How much should Missouri's state elected officials and judges be paid?

The answer rests with a citizens commission that will develop a pay plan setting the salaries for everyone from the state's governor to its trial judges.

The legislature can veto the plan, but it can't change it.

Voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 1994 to set up the Missouri Citizens Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials and take salaries out of the hands of the legislature.

The commission was formed earlier this year. Its members have been meeting since this spring.

Since late August, they have held three public hearings, one each in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield.

A fourth hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21 in Cape Girardeau. The 7 p.m. hearing will be held at the Drury Lodge.

The fifth and final hearing will be Nov. 6 at Kirksville.

The commission will meet in Jefferson city in mid-November. The commission must file its recommendations with the secretary of state's office by Dec. 1.

The pay plan automatically takes effect July 1 unless lawmakers reject it by Feb. 1.

If that happens, the state would operate without a pay plan for another two years, said John Boehm, deputy director of the state office of administration.

That is because the commission only meets every two years to recommend salary changes, he said.

Boehm assists the commission's as a staff person. The commission also has the aid of a consultant.

The commissioners receive no salary, but are paid for their expenses.

Commissioner Stephen Burch of Rolla said he hopes people will turn out for the Cape Girardeau hearing. "We are looking for the input."

So far, few people have attended the hearings and most of them have been judges and lawyers intent on getting salary hikes for the judiciary, he said.

Judges, he said, feel they are underpaid in relation to other states.

The commission was set up to have 22 members: nine -- one from each congressional district -- randomly selected by the secretary of state, a retired judge selected by the Missouri Supreme Court and a dozen appointed by the governor.

The 12 gubernatorial appointees must be evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats and there are other requirements too.

They must include representatives of small business, big business, personnel management, the health care industry and agriculture. Two members must be over age 60, two must be from a third-class county north of the Missouri River and two from south of the Missouri River.

State officials, employees and lawmakers can't serve on the commission. Neither can their immediate relatives. Lobbyists also are excluded.

The commission has been operating with only 20 members.

The person selected from the 5th District hasn't attended the meetings. But since he hasn't resigned, the state has to take legal action to replace him.

The 8th District was represented by Raymond Portwood of Puxico, who works for the federal government. But Raymond Portwood recently resigned after he was transferred to a job outside the district.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Bekki Cook named Wayne County resident Maxine Duckett to the 8th District slot.

State Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett, said he hopes people turn out for the remaining hearings.

"Everybody complains about not having input into government and this is a great chance to get input into government," he said.

It was Thomason's idea to set up the salary commission.

He introduced the proposal in the 1994 session of the General Assembly. After some modification, it was sent to the voters and they approved it.

Thomason said the idea was to take politics out of setting salaries.

"I have never felt it was right for us to set our own salaries," he said.

Thomason said state lawmakers are adequately paid. They receive annual salaries of slightly more than $25,000.

But he said the governor's $98,000 salary should be raised. The governor makes less than most presidents of Missouri's state colleges, Thomason said.

Regardless of any pay plan, the legislature can continue to give cost-of-living increases to elected officials and judges in line with what state employees receive.

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, doesn't like the idea of a salary commission.

"I think it was one of the worst things that was ever done," he said. "It is going to make it much easier to get judges' and legislators' salaries raised."

Kinder said, "They are going to put these numbers out there to increase salaries and unless the General Assembly votes it down, it goes into effect.

"I just think that procedure is not a good procedure," he said.