UC executive pay raise sparks another bill to restrict such hikes

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A week after the UC Board of Regents approved a salary for the incoming chancellor for UC Berkeley that is $50,000 larger than his predecessor’s pay, a state lawmaker has introduced legislation seeking to stop such executive raises in years of budget trouble or student-fee increases.

State Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) introduced the bill this week, citing the case of Nicholas B. Dirks, who will be paid $486,000 to head Berkeley, 11% more than the current chancellor at the school. The increased amount is being covered by a foundation.

Yee’s bill, SB 8, would prohibit executive raises in the California State University system, even if they use foundation money, as long as students are paying more. The bill would request that the semi-autonomous University of California system follow the same guidelines.

“Despite calls from the governor, UC and CSU continue to line the pockets of their top administrators,” Yee said in a statement. “The regents and trustees treat dollars meant for students as a personal slush fund for already wealthy executives.’’

A similar bill was vetoed in 2009 by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, while another failed to make it out of the Legislature last year.

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-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento