Posted by Despite acrimony and recriminations on both sides, the pay raise issue was never really a partisan issue. Sure it was originated by Democrats and opposed by the Republican Governor, but there were Democrats who voted against the raise and Republicans who voted for it. There are principled and justifiable reasons to support or oppose the raise.
But from a political standpoint, voting against the raise was by far the safer option. It’s easy to pound a fist and decry your colleagues as they move to raise their own pay. No one has ever been defeated for voting against a pay raise, whereas voting for one could always be used against you.
So if you’re a Republican and always on the lookout to find an issue to pound the majority Democratic legislature, it’s a dream scenario – especially when you have a popular governor and party leadership backing your play.
But 2 Republican senators and 7 Republican House members resisted the pressure to cow to party leaders or future electoral benefit and voted to override the Riley veto. In the House the 7 included conservatives (Barton, Faust, Galliher), mavericks (Gipson, Hill, McClendon) and iconoclast Spencer Collier.
In the Senate, Republicans voting to override were Scott Beason and Rusty Glover. Both freshmen Senators are among the most conservative members of the body and harbor potentially high aspirations. Beason especially is widely viewed as a rising star on the GOP side and is wildly popular among the conservative GOP grassroots. Beason nearly waged an insurgent campaign for GOP chair, before bowing to the Riley-anointed Mike Hubbard.
For Beason, who will surely run for higher office sooner or later, to override the governor’s veto on this matter took some serious guts. Whether or not you agree with the decision, Beason definitely didn’t take the easy way out. And for that he deserves credit. (Also Democrats E.B. McClain and Jim Preuitt, members of the Senate minority caucus, voted to override.)
Without the Republican votes, the pay raise would not have passed. And even if you’re opposed to the pay raise, you should have to admit that it took some level of political courage for these members to vote against their party and maybe their own short term political interest. Political courage is rare in Montgomery but these members exercised it yesterday afternoon.
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Chauncey–check your math. The over ride was passed 20-15 in the Senate. Without the two Republican votes it would have passed 18-17. Republican votes were, in fact, not needed to pass the pay raise. With a 57-41 vote in the House, the raise would have apssed without a single Republican vote. Do not lay the passage of this pay raise at the feet of Republicans. The stealth approval of the initial resolution was engineered by the Democratic leadership in both chambers. The sponsors of the resolutions were Democrats.
I do not share your opinion that voting for this raise was either brave or necessary. It is unconscionable to provide legislators with a 62% raise–especially when so many of them are double dipping on the state payrolls. I think the Democrats have seriously underestimated the anger of Alabama’s voters. And they have just given Republicans issue one for the 2010 election cycle.
[...] Some Updates First, the raises. Here’s the list of legislators who voted to override the Governor’s veto and give themselves a 62% pay increase. My local rep – Patricia Todd – is, good for her, NOT on it. Reactions? For one side of the story, see this apology; for the other, see this vow of retribution. Here’sa first hand report of the unsuccessful protest in Montgomery. [...]
Umm…Check your math…53 votes were required to override the veto in the House. There were 7 Republican votes. 57 votes – 7 Republicans = 50 votes (i.e. not enough to override)
Riley had the option of reducing the amount of the increase, considering he said yesterday that he believed that there was a need for the increase, just not the 62%. He chose not to do so.
Governor Riley makes $112,894 per year. In 1990 Governor Guy Hunt’s salary topped out at $70,222 per year. That’s a 60 percent increase in the past 17 years.
Susan,
Had the 7 Republicans in the House not voted to override the veto, the governor’s veto would have stood. So I feel it is correct to say, “Without the Republican votes, the pay raise would not have passed. “.
Also notice that Jim Preuitt who was Riley’s choice for Pro Tem voted for it, as did EB McClain who was the recipient of 12 republican votes to be Senate Pro Tem.
Beason had better hope that he doesn’t have to answer to his constituents, as I am one, and I’m not happy with that particular move. His “gutsy” move could cost him dearly. I wouldn’t call it “gutsy” so much as I’d call it “arrogance.” Beason took out Biddle in the primaries, but neither McClendon nor Beason faced any opposition in the general election. There’s only one way that they can regain my trust, and that would be by voting against HB322 and voting for HB331. If that doesn’t happen, I will make it my mission until the next election to make sure that their “unopposed” status disappears.
Yeah, I’ve been wondering what was up with the Scott “I’m the only true conservative” Beeson’s vote. I predict that he doesn’t get out of the 2010 Republican primary because of this.
Big difference: The Governor does not vote for his own salary. If the Governor (any governor’s) salary is increased, it is because the Legislature voted to increase it. Also don’t forget, Riley voluntarily cut his pay when he came into office because of the budget deficit Alabama had at the time.
Well who is supposed to vote to increase legislative pay? Considering that the Legislature is the branch of government that passes legislation, it’s a little disingenuous to suggest that there is another avenue for receiving any sort of pay increase. I am sure the Executive and Judicial branches appreciate the fact that they are never responsible for voting for their own pay raise. It certainly takes the pressure off of these particular public officials, especially since the Judicial branch has even outpaced the Executive branch in the raise department. I think they are making about 85% more than they were about 16 years ago.
You’re the one who brought up the governor’s salary. I’m simply pointing out that if it has gone up (and it has, but stretched out over the last 16 years, unlike our legislators’ raise, which went up 62% in ONE DAY), don’t try to make it sound like the governor raised it.
I never implied that the Governor raised his own salary. But it is indeed fact that the Governor’s salary went up $16,000 last year, hardly a gradual increase.
Chauncy–not so. Had there not been a few Republican votes for the raise, the Dems that either voted against it or abstained were ready to come in and make sure it passed. I am totally unconvinced by the “cost of living” argument. I might buy that if this were a full time Legislature, but this is a very part time job. I might have bought it if they had approved a smaller increase to take effect on the next quadrienneum. But not 62%. Not snuck through with a voice vote. Not until double dipping is really and truly outlawed.
If I understand the legislative procedures correctly and the governor’s salary was increased by the legislature while Riley was in office, he did vote for it in a way when he signed the bill when he could have vetoed it.
Excellent point…
[...] A commenter here raises a point… [...]