ALBANY — Long Island state Sen. Kenneth LaValle is the king of the Legislature’s double-dippers.
After winning reelection last year, the Suffolk County Republican first elected in 1976 took advantage of a law that allows veteran lawmakers to put in retirement papers so they can begin collecting their pensions even while still serving and getting a paycheck.
LaValle, since the start of this year, has been getting an $8,181-a-month pension that comes out to $98,172 annually. Between that, his $79,500 base legislative salary and a $25,000 stipend he receives for serving as chairman of the Senate majority conference, LaValle’s gross pay will hit $200,672 this year.
He is one of 18 lawmakers receiving state pensions for their time in the Legislature while also continuing to be paid a legislative salary, according to data from the state controller’s office. And that does not include at least five others who are receiving public pensions from previous government jobs while still collecting their state salaries.
“Their double-dipping renders the word retirement meaningless,” said Dick Dadey, Citizens Union executive director. “They should not get two paychecks at public expense. If they want to retire, then no longer serve in an elected office.”
LaValle, whose office did not comment, is hardly alone.
Assembly Deputy Speaker Earlene Hooper, a Nassau County Democrat, receives a $6,821 monthly pension, which amounts to $81,852 a year. That’s on top of an additional $104,500 a year she gets in legislative salary and a leadership stipend, bringing her total pay to $186,352.
Assemblyman Herman (Denny) Farrell (D-Manhattan) has been collecting an $81,619 annual pension since the start of 2011 on top of the $131,500 combined he receives for his salary and his stipend for serving as chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
Like Farrell, Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse) is still being paid $131,500 in salary and stipend. But since January, he has also collected a $6,056 monthly pension.
Under state law, officials appointed or elected before 1995 and who are at least 65 years old can collect both their full salary and pension as long as they are still serving in the same office. Those appointed or elected after 1995 can receive their pensions until their salaries surpass $30,000.
E.J. McMahon of the Empire State Center for Public Policy says the problem isn’t necessarily the double-dippers but the system itself that practically encourages the practice.
Under state law, a lawmaker’s spouse is entitled to continue to receive the pension benefits when that lawmaker dies — but only if the legislator had already put in for it. That means, if the legislator is still serving and does not put in for the pension and dies, the survivor is not entitled to it.
“This system is crazy,” McMahon said. “It basically tells you at a certain point that you’re crazy if you don’t double-dip. If you were in their position, you’d do the same thing.”
He has advocated for lawmakers going forward to set up a 401(k)-type pension system for themselves rather than the current system that guarantees them a salary-type benefit no matter what.
