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Louisiana lawmakers voting on pay raise
Published Sunday, June 15, 2008
VIDALIA — The Louisiana House of Representatives voted Friday to compromise on a bill that would have tripled the salaries for legislators and would have allowed for automatic adjustments in years to come.
As originally drafted, Senate Bill 672 would have set the base pay for state legislators at one-third of whatever members of the U.S. Congress make. The bill passed the senate, but by the time it left the house Friday it had been amended to set legislators’ base salary at $37,500 a year.
The base salary for legislators is currently $16,800 a year.
District 21 Representative John F. “Andy” Anders voted in favor of the amended bill, which passed 56-43. Anders could not be reached for comment.
The amended pay raise proposal will now go to the senate for approval.
Gov. Bobby Jindal can either veto the pay raise, sign it or not sign it and it will automatically become law without his official approval.
For District 32 Senator Neil Riser, the pay raise wasn’t even an option.
“I never entertained the thought of a pay raise,” Riser said.
“ I knew what the job paid when I took it.”
But the deciding factor for Riser was his constituency.
“The people of my district were unanimously opposed to it,” Riser said.
District 34 Senator Francis Thompson, who voted for the original measure when it was presented the senate, could not be reached for comment.
If it becomes law, the proposed pay change will begin July 1.
Comments
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 15, 2008 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shame on your Andy Anders!!! You should have worried about what your constituency thought about it first!!!!
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on June 15, 2008 at 1:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You don't seriously think Anders cares about his constituency do you kpage? He has more important things on his mind, like doing what he's told.
Posted by quest (anonymous) on June 15, 2008 at 2:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Legislators can triple their salary, but when it comes to giving teachers a raise, they are thrown a little doggie bone: "here, educators, take this itsy bitsy raise that doesn't amount to much per month and be happy."
Thank you, Neil Riser, for standing up for your constituency. I like what you said "“ I knew what the job paid when I took it.”
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on June 15, 2008 at 5:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Which district is Concordia in?
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on June 15, 2008 at 11:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't give them a raise and make them keep the prisoners inside the prisons.
http://www.ksla.com/global/story.asp?s=8...
Or, the next thing you know a prisoner will be working your job and you will be standing in the unemployment line.
Posted by emp (anonymous) on June 16, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Imagine that. Seems like concordia isn't the only place that prisoners escape.
Posted by flylo (anonymous) on June 16, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wish in my Job I could vote on my own salary. Anders knew going in what he would be making.
Way to go "Quest" good comment!! I agree 100% with you. Give the teachers the big raise and throw the bone to the law makers is the only change I would like to make in what you said.
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