I think any other post just couldn’t describe this day accurately enough…

I think any other post just couldn’t describe this day accurately enough…

House, Senate vote to give selves 60 percent pay raise

3/8/2007, 1:47 p.m. ET By BOB JOHNSON The Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Members of the Alabama House and Senate voted Thursday to give themselves a pay raise of about 60 percent.

Gov. Bob Riley promised to veto it, but said he expects it to be overridden in both chambers.

“We know that we don’t have the votes,” he said.

The House approved the resolution raising the annual compensation for lawmakers from $30,710 to $49,500 in an unrecorded voice vote shortly after going into session, and many members said they were not aware the pay raise was going to be introduced.

The Senate quickly followed by passing the measure, also on an unrecorded voice vote. Several Republican senators tried to get a recorded vote, but the presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr., ignored their shouts and raised hands.

It now goes to Riley for his signature or veto. Riley said last week in an interview with The Associated Press he would most likely veto a large raise for legislators, who have not had one in 16 years. Lawmakers can override the governor’s veto with a majority vote, but it must be a recorded vote.

“We’ll do that on the override,” said Sen. Bobby Denton, D-Muscle Shoals, who supports a raise.

House Speaker Seth Hammett said he did not take a recorded vote because no members requested one. Hammett said members deserve a raise because of the length of time that has passed since their pay was adjusted.

The General Fund budget presented to the Legislature by Gov. Riley does not include funds for a raise for state employees. Hammett was asked if it is fair to give lawmakers a raise and not one to state employees.

“We’ve been providing state employees with pay raises on a regular basis. Their pay has increased the last two years,” Hammett said.

State Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, said lawmakers deserve a raise because they have not received one since 1991.

“We’ve given everybody in the whole state a pay raise and we haven’t gotten one,” Rogers said, referring to pay increases given to teachers and state employees in recent years.

The measure, sponsored in the House by Speaker Pro Tem Demetrius Newton, D-Birmingham, raises the monthly expense allowance lawmakers receive from $2,280 to $3,850. Their other daily compensation for legislative meeting days remains the same.

Some lawmakers said they would have voted “no” had there been a recorded vote.

“I knew what I was getting paid when I ran for office,” said Rep. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster. Ward said he believes the current pay for lawmakers may be too low, but he doesn’t believe most Alabama residents believe legislators need more money.

“I don’t feel my constituents will support this,” Ward said.

In the Senate, freshman Sen. Arthur Orr, D-Decatur, was among a group of Republicans shouting for a roll call vote rather than a voice vote.

“Doing a pay raise in this format tarnishes the image of the Senate,” he said.

Between the House and Senate votes, the Legislature held a brief joint session to hear from Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus, who was wrapping up a two-day visit to the state.

Klaus noted that in his country and any other democracy, it’s commonplace for lawmakers to want to raise their pay and for the public to criticize it.

“This is a universal process I’m afraid in a democratic society,” he said.