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A measure that could give legislators a politically touchy pay raise suddenly passed in the last days of the just-completed legislative session.

A bill by Rep. Mike Doogan, D-Juneau, stalled late in the session and looked dead. Suddenly, though, key parts of Doogan's House Bill 260 were amended into another bill that had to pass, and the possibility of raises was reborn.

That other bill, House Bill 417, includes pay raises for 2,500 to 3,000 state employees who aren't represented by collective bargaining agreements, said Kevin Brooks, deputy commissioner for the Department of Administration.

As did Doogan's original bill, the new one sets up a State Officers Compensation Commission that will decide how much legislators and some other top state employees should be paid.

"You won't find the bill number, HB 260 or my name anywhere, though, because it was rolled into another bill, HB 417, that increases the pay for state employees who aren't represented by unions," Doogan said in his newsletter to constituents.

Putting Doogan's legislator pay bill into the bill giving raises to thousands of other employees may make it difficult for Gov. Sarah Palin to veto.

"There's a compelling case to approve this bill because of all the other stuff that's in there," Brooks said.

Passage of the bill may mean legislators get the pay increase many of them want, but what the commission will recommend won't be known for some time.

The measure still has to be approved by Palin, but she has not indicated she opposes the bill.

"I think there are a couple of aspects of it that raise some questions, and we'll have to review them thoroughly," said Russ Kelly, Palin's legislative director.

The bill also would let the commission set the salary for the governor, currently set by law at $125,000, and other top officials.

Doogan said his bill puts "citizens in charge" of how much legislators and top administration officials are paid.

Legislators' official salary is about $24,000, but supplements to that bring the actual pay for the average legislator from outside Juneau to about triple that amount. Juneau's delegation gets paid less than the other 57 legislators.

Many legislators say their job is a demanding, full-time one. They say handling significant issues justifies making legislators full-time employees with a commensurate salary.

Others, however, object to that, saying they don't think the public supports paying legislators more. The last formal legislative pay increase was repealed within a year in the face of public opposition.

Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak, opposed the possibility of a pay raise, saying he didn't want to be "anywhere near that tar baby."

The salary commission would be made up of five Alaskans appointed by the governor. Two seats would be based on recommendations by legislative leaders.

Members of the commission would not be allowed to be state employees, including employees of the University of Alaska, or members of another state board, commission or authority, or hold elective state or municipal office.

If Palin approves the bill, the commission would provide a preliminary report on its salary recommendations by Nov. 15, and a final report near the start of the next legislative session.

Unless the Legislature then passes a bill within 60 days "disapproving all the recommendations for all officers," the recommendations will then go into effect in specified time periods.

Brooks called that a "weird setup."

"This is a way for the Legislature to change pay, without having to vote on pay," he said.

The bill also allows a legislative committee to provide per diem payments "adapted to the special needs of the legislative branch," as well.

Per diem payments provide most of the current boost beyond legislators' official salaries.

• Contact reporter Pat Forgeyat 523-2250 or e-mail patrick.forgey@juneauempire.com.