ALBANY – State lawmakers would get automatic pay raises every four years, without having to take the politically risky vote to beef up their own paychecks, under a new bill Assembly Democrats are pushing.

The Assembly is adopting Chief Judge Judith Kaye’s proposal to set up a salary review commission that would adjust the pay of both lawmakers and judges every four years, a spokesman for Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) confirmed last night.

The bill takes the thorny issue of higher salaries for lawmakers out of the legislative process, giving the commission binding authority to set the pay levels.

The base pay for the part-time lawmakers is $79,500 a year, but many earn far more than $90,000 with the extra pay they get for committee and leadership assignments.

“This would be lousy policy,” said E.J. McMahon, an analyst with the conservative Manhattan Institute. “I’m sure the voters would not go along with automatic pay raises for legislators every four years if this was polled.”

Gov. Spitzer’s proposed budget calls for no pay raises for lawmakers, but does set aside $111 million for increased judicial salaries, retroactive to 1999.

The governor has indicated he is not willing to consider higher pay for lawmakers until they begin adopting legislative reforms.

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