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Alaska's legislators are just a few days away from receiving long-awaited pay raises, as bills that would require politically risky public votes remain bottled up in committee.

"I think the general public is looking for there to be a public decision taking place; instead it has already taken place behind closed doors," said Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, Senate Minority Leader, an advocate of a public vote.

Without action by the Legislature to reject it, the pay raises will take effect Saturday.

In the Senate, a bill to reject the pay raises is being held in committee by Sen. Joe Paskvan, D-Fairbanks, chair of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee. He declined comment.

Therriault said Paskvan appeared to be holding the bill at the behest of the Senate Working Group, the bipartisan coalition that controls the Senate.

Senate Bill 106, requiring a vote, was assigned three committees of referral by the Senate leadership, meaning that if it were to pass out of its current committee, it would have to make it through two more and the Senate floor, and also pass the House, all before Saturday.

Three committees of referral is usually taken as a sign that leadership wants a bill to fail. That's especially true with a short deadline, such as the special pay raise law.

Under standard procedures, it doesn't appear possible to pass the Senate bill, but Therriault said it could still be done.

"It's never too late, if they want it to happen," he said.

A similar bill in the House of Representatives is unlikely to come to a vote either, said Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole. He's chairman of the House Rules Committee, which decides which bills go to the House floor for votes.

Coghill said the Senate's inaction means there is little reason for the House to take controversial vote.

"Look how far the Senate (bill) has gone," Coghill said. "Why take the beating when we know it is going to go into law anyway?"

Coghill said he wants the raises go to into effect, but while he and Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, come from safe districts where the vote would not be dangerous, it's not that way for everybody.

Even in his district, he said, he's taking heat for his stance. Coghill said he's received comments such as "you dirty so-and-so" for supporting the raises.

The State Officers Compensation Commission, created last year by the Legislature, has recommended legislative salaries be raised from $24,012 per year to $54,400.

At the same time, a legislative pay addition called a long-term per diem, which many legislators consider unfair and open for abuse, would be eliminated. Last year, long-term per diem payments averaged about $11,200 per legislator.

Other pay supplements, such as session per diem, brought average legislator pay to $68,000 last year.

Coghill said the commission's recommendation was substantial but not overly generous.

"It's not excessive, but it's healthy," he said.

Therriault said he didn't think the Legislature's attempt to hide from the salary increase vote was politically a good idea.

"I don't think it is going to sit well with the public," Therriault said.

• Contact reporter Pat Forgey at 586-4816 or patrick.forgey@juneauempire.com.