Let's face it. Idaho state legislators collect a meager salary for their marathon three-month sessions.

Legislators look forward to $16,438 a year, according to the Citizens' Committee on Legislative Compensation.

But that's not to say a legislator's compensation isn't competitive.

A generous insurance plan and potentially impressive pension accompany election to a state legislative seat. Many agree the benefits package beats what's found in the private sector.

Opinions vary on whether that alone can inspire individuals to start campaigning.

"I didn't run knowing that there were those kind of benefits. I ran because I thought it was an honor to serve," said former Coeur d'Alene Sen. Mike Jorgenson. "Once you get in there and find out this is going on, I'd say there are people who use it for their maximum benefit."

A Nice Perk

Legislators are granted the same benefits as state employees.

That includes mandatory membership in the PERSI public retirement system, which most city, county and state employees are members of.

Lawmakers can also become members of Blue Cross of Idaho, with plans that provide hospital, physician, prescription drug and vision benefits.

Other offered benefits include the Blue Cross dental plan, life insurance and disability.

The PERSI system has appeal.

General PERSI members contribute 6.23 percent of their salaries to the retirement plan. Employers pay 10.39 percent of their payroll.

Some legislators have already started contributing to a PERSI account in a previous role, if they held another office or had a government job.

Some might hold other PERSI-covered roles after leaving office, too, continuing to kick funds into the account.

"Generally, members receive all the money they've paid in PERSI contributions within the first three to five years of retirement," confirmed PERSI spokesperson Patrice Perow.

After that, she stated, a monthly service allowance is paid from the PERSI trust, or the employer contributions and investment revenue.

PERSI-covered individuals can also withdraw all contributions they have made to PERSI all at once, plus interest earned, prior to retirement.

Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, lauded PERSI as a well-run retirement pension program.

But it doesn't provide much for legislators, he contended, pointing out that contributions from the small lawmaker salary are nominal.

"I don't think my benefits will be more than $200 a month when I retire," Goedde estimated. "I don't think there's a whole lot of economic assistance there."

Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, isn't even contributing to PERSI as a legislator.

He is collecting the PERSI retirement allowance he accrued during his several terms on the Post Falls City Council and as county commissioner, he said.

"It's just part of retirement planning," Henderson said of his $400 monthly PERSI payments. "I don't think that by itself, being in PERSI, is an attraction to being a legislator. People become legislators because they have legislative issues they want to champion. They don't do it for the remuneration."

A Bigger Slice

But Jorgenson, who served in the senate from 2004 to 2010, argues that legislators have potential to inflate their PERSI retirement allowance.

The monthly PERSI allowance is calculated from the member's highest paid four years in the program. The allowance from that highest salary will be applied to all the years an individual was a PERSI member, whether in a legislative role or otherwise.

"To give an example, I spent four years on the Hayden Lake City Council, for $100 a month (salary)," Jorgenson said. "Let's say I had four years at $100 a month, and I had six years at roughly $15,000 as a legislator. So I would have a total 10 years. All those years would be based off my highest paid four years (for the PERSI retirement allowance)."

Jorgenson's concern, he said, is a legislator could be motivated to spend many years in office, then spend just a few years in a much higher paying PERSI-covered position.

That would ensure a much higher retirement allowance would apply to all the years of service.

"If you were a legislator and had many years of service like many state legislators do, if you pick up any government estate or city or county job that pays higher than that, it has a huge effect on your retirement payment," said Jorgenson, who estimated his PERSI retirement allowance would come to $250 a month.

So it is possible for legislators to earn more after they're retired than when they are serving in office, he noted.

"It's a huge deal," he said.

There are smaller benefits, too.

An expense allowance of $122 per day of a session is provided to legislators who maintain a second residence in Ada County during the session.

A daily $50 allowance is supplied to some legislators to help with commute. A constituent service allowance of $1,875 is provided to all legislators, to cover costs incurred while maintaining their offices.

Legislators are reimbursed for expenses like travel and meals.

These allowances are not added into legislators' salaries, under a new amendment to state law, and thus don't affect PERSI payments.

Other current and past legislators couldn't be reached for comment.

The PERSI allowances are still a good reward for lawmakers, Jorgenson acknowledged.

"They're somewhat of an offset to the poor salaries that the legislators get," Jorgenson said.

Health Coverage

That goes for the state health insurance, too.

It was an easy choice to join the state insurance plan, Jorgenson said.

"I don't remember what the cost was, but it was cheaper than I could get it anyplace else," he said.

Goedde also said he signed onto the state insurance when he took office in 2000.

"It appeared to be better benefits than what I had at my office," he said. "Not only were the benefits better, but the employee contribution was better."

For major medical benefits under BCI, the deductible is $350 for individuals and $1,050 for families, according to the Idaho Office of Group Insurance website.

The bimonthly medical premium rates for a single, full-time employee range from $14 to $21.50, depending on the plan they choose. The dental rate is $4.

Bimonthly rates for a full-time employee with spouse and children range from $53 to $75.50, depending on the plan. The dental rate is $30.50.

Henderson said that after he joined BCI as a legislator, he no longer needed secondary insurance to supplement Medicare coverage.

He has relied on the BCI coverage to treat several occasions of injury and illness, he said.

"It is a very nice benefit," Henderson said.

Not Enough?

Former Coeur d'Alene Rep. George Sayler didn't join the state insurance program during his four terms in office, he said.

He didn't see a need, he said.

"I did have good healthcare coverage with Medicare and a supplement plan," Sayler said.

He also didn't contribute to PERSI as a legislator. Retiring from decades of school teaching, he said, he felt he could best survive as a lawmaker if he collected the PERSI allowance accrued from his teaching career.

"I knew I'd need my PERSI, because my legislative salary alone wouldn't be enough (to live on)," Sayler said.

While benefits are all well and good, he thinks legislators' salaries should be higher, he said.

Lawmakers invest 60-plus hours a week during the session, he explained.

For the time they put in, maybe they could earn a little more, he said.

"I don't think they should be overly paid. I don't think they should go into that to be career politicians," Sayler said. "Just make it so people who don't have a big income can afford to do it."