Blue State Blues: ‘Double Dipping’ NY Lawmakers ‘Retire’ to Collect a Pension and Salary At The Same Time
23rd January 2025
New York state Assemblymember Al Taylor of Harlem retired at the end of last year — which is probably news to his constituents, whom he still represents.
Taylor, a Democrat, is the latest state lawmaker to take advantage of a constitutional quirk that lets him collect his public salary and pension at the same time. All he had to do was briefly “retire” before beginning his new term, which he did by filing his papers on Dec. 31, and return to work the next day.
Taylor will now receive his $142,000 base salary as well as public retirement benefits that could exceed $75,000 annually, depending on which payment option he selected and whether he selected a beneficiary. He is one of at least 15 New York state lawmakers currently collecting a public pension and public salary, according to the state comptroller’s office. Taylor did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
