Information received through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that a state lawmaker representing Brockton received a pay increase from $67,232 to $107,547 from the pay raise that she and other legislators voter for earlier this year. Mass Fiscal Alliance dubbed state Rep. Claire Cronin, D-Easton, "the big winner" in The House from the pay hike vote held on Beacon Hill in January this year.

BROCKTON A state lawmaker representing Brockton was the big winner in the House of Representatives from pay raises that legislators gave themselves in a vote earlier this year, according to the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

The Beacon Hill group, which calls itself a nonpartisan advocate for fiscal responsibility and transparency, published the findings of a Freedom of Information Act request for payroll records of state lawmakers before and after they passed a legislative pay raise in January.

State Rep. Claire Cronin, D-Easton, who represents part of Brockton, received the largest percentage increase 60 percent in the House of Representatives, the group said.

The information published by the group shows that Cronins raise went from $67,232 in total take home pay in 2016, to $107,547 in 2017.

That included $30,000 in additional leadership pay, which is additional compensation for state lawmakers with various leadership roles. Cronin is the chairperson for the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, according to her legislative profile.

Cronin and others also received additional compensation for office expenses, varying depending on the lawmakers distance from home to Boston. Cronin and other lawmakers in Brockton received an additional $15,000 for this in 2017, compared to the $7,200 they received in the previous year.

Cronins base pay also increased by about $2,500.

Cronin and all other state lawmakers representing Brockton voted to give themselves the pay raise, justifying the pay increase with a bipartisan report authored in 2014 that recommended additional compensation. They also pointed to the lack of a legislative leadership stipend increase since 1982.

Cronin provided a statement to The Enterprise on Thursday celebrating her new leadership position the primary reason for her pay increase and she commented on the added work that it entails.

"This year I was proud to receive a promotion, being named the first woman House chair of the Judiciary Committee," Cronin said. "With this promotion, I have increased responsibilities, including hearing and considering nearly 800 pieces of legislation, among them bills dealing with criminal justice reform, a priority of the speaker, Senate president and governor. There are more bills and more hearings in the Judiciary Committee than any other committee in the Legislature."

However, advocates from groups like Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance are not buying the explanations from local politicians, and they argue that state lawmakers are trying to downplay the pay raises they gave themselves.

The slippery stories legislators are telling about this vote are outrageous, said Paul Craney, a spokesperson for Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. Only the professional politicians win when information like this is kept secret. We think people deserve the truth.

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Report: Brockton lawmaker is 'big winner' from legislative pay raise vote - Enterprise News