California Citizens Compensation Commission

California Citizens Compensation Commission
Basic facts
Location:	Sacramento, Calif.
Year founded:	1990
Website:	Official website

The California Citizens Compensation Commission (CCCC) sets the salaries and fringe benefits of members of the California State Legislature and California's other non-federal elected officials, including governor and attorney general.

Background

The CCCC was established by California Proposition 112 (1990).

California Proposition 1F (May 2009) prevents the CCCC from increasing the salaries of California's non-federal elected officials when there is a state budget deficit.

Membership

As of August 2025, the following individuals were members of the CCCC:

• Michael Sweet, general population seat
• Margaret Wong, small business seat
• Laura Horrocks, non-profit seat
• Tyren Thompson, compensation expert seat
• Darrell Roberts, labor seat

Work and activities

Commission activities

The CCCC has seven members. The members are appointed by the Governor of California to six-year terms. Three members must be public members with specific areas of expertise — one of those members must be an expert in economics, another must be a member of a non-profit public interest group and a third must be a representative of the general population. Two members must have business experience and two members must either be office holders or members of a labor organization.

The Commission is required to meet by June 30 of each year to decide what changes to make, if any, the following December. Actions of the Commission are effective on a December-to-December basis.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.

Finances

The CCCC is funded via its parent agency, the California Department of Human Resources. As of May 2025, the California Department of Human Resources' budget for the 2025-26 budget cycle was over $665 million.

Noteworthy events

Gil Cedillo complaint (2010)

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

In May 2009, the CCCC voted for an 18% cut in pay and benefits. The cuts took place in December 2009, resulting in a reduction of the salary of state legislators by $20,917/year and a reduction in the pay received by the state's top 12 officials of at least $28,644.

Gil Cedillo then filed a complaint in 2010 with California's Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, saying that the pay cut exceeded the legal authority of the CCCC, specifically arguing that the California Constitution prohibits legislative pay from being cut in the middle of a lawmaker's term, and that the CCCC lacks the authority to cut the legislative per diem, as it did, from $173 to $142 per day.

In January 2011, the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board denied Cedillo's claim.

Dispute over per diem payments (2012)

Jerry Brown appointed labor attorney Thomas Dalzell to the chairmanship of the CCCC in 2012. Dalzell said that the CCCC overstepped its bounds in 2011 when it voted to eliminate taxpayer-funded vehicles for lawmakers. Dalzell said that in general he does not believe that the CCCC has the right to regulate or change the per diem payments received by members of the California State Legislature and, instead, must confine itself to dictating their salaries only. The per diem payments extended to members of the state legislature at the time come to about $30,000 per legislator per year.

John Ronald Stiles, a commission member appointed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said if legislators "disagree with us, they have every right to take us to court" but that he believed the panel had the support of voters on the per diem issue.

See also

• What is an influencer?

External links

• California Citizens Compensation Commission