[Mojave]

According to the LAO, all increases this decade have been less than inflation.

This decade? The LAO chose their words carefully, it would appear.

In 1998, Hopwood and his cohorts gave the state's elected officials an eye-popping 34% raise. They followed that up with another 15% raise in 1999.

http://digital.library.ucla.edu/websites/2000_999_037/9903/032199.html

[calcowgirl]

Actually, “decade” was my word. I think the base year mentioned was 2000.

[calcowgirl]

From your link, a March 1999 article:

Since it was created after the 1990 election, the commission has increased the base salary of rank-and-file legislators by nearly two-and-a-half fold: from $ 40,800 to $ 99,000. It is the highest base pay for state legislators in the nation.

So this pay decrease will take salaries back to below 1999 levels.