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Understanding state lawmakers' benefits, salaries after Casada's resignation announcement

Lawmakers are eligible for benefits like any state employee, even though they’re not full-time employees year-round.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Since Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada's resignation announcement, there have been many questions about his future within the Legislature, specifically about his salary and benefits. 

WBIR took some of these questions to Shelli King with the state Department of the Treasury and Connie Ridley, who oversees the administrative office for state lawmakers in Nashville. 

Lawmakers are eligible for benefits like any state employee, even though they’re not full-time employees year-round.

RELATED: Embattled Tennessee House Speaker Casada confirms he will step down in August

In order to collect retirement, if they have been contributing to the retirement program, lawmakers have to be 55 years old and have been in the position at least two consecutive two-year terms. In other words, it takes four years to be vested, King said.

Casada at age 59 already qualifies to collect, but he has to be out of the Legislature in order to collect those benefits, Ridley said. Lawmakers cannot collect retirement while they still hold a position.

Casada said Tuesday in a letter he would resign as speaker effective Aug. 2. Some lawmakers think he should leave sooner as a result of several scandals in his office this year including questions about hidden surveillance in his office and a chief of staff who shared vulgar and misogynistic texts with him.

RELATED: TN House Speaker apologizes for inappropriate text messages & asks for forgiveness

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 He’s been serving in the Legislature since the early 2000s.

When Casada is no longer speaker, he will revert to the regular $24,316 per year salary for state lawmakers, Ridley said. Until then, he keeps drawing the speaker’s salary, which is triple the regular payment.

Right now he's making a little more than $6,000 a month.

RELATED: Lawmakers: Casada had 'hall monitors' track some members' movements, eavesdrop on conversations

When they finally retire, qualified legislative members are eligible for $89.72 per month multiplied by their years of service, according to Ridley.

Just like state employees, lawmakers are also eligible for health insurance and life insurance.

Right now, Casada occupies space specifically allotted for the speaker of the House in the Cordell Hull Building in Nashville. When a new speaker takes over, that person is entitled to occupy that space.

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