Some Lawmakers To Reject Emergency Session Pay
Several conservative members of the S.C. House of Representatives will reject their taxpayer-funded expense reimbursements if (when) an emergency session of the legislature convenes later this year, helping defray the costs of a budget-cutting session that wouldn’t be necessary if their liberal Republican counterparts had exercised a little more fiscal restraint in recent years.
State legislators will likely be forced back to Columbia sometime after October 8, when the State Board of Economic Advisers is set to issue updated revenue projections to reflect South Carolina’s flagging economy.
All signs point to these projections triggering a revenue drop big enough to require lawmakers to reconvene, meaning they would have to deal with budget cuts directly instead of having their 3-2 legislative majority on the State Budget & Control Board lop off an equal amount of funding from each agency’s budget.
This is what happened back in August, when the Board approved a 3% across-the-board cut.
“At a time when statewide budget cuts to agencies have some state employees fearful of losing their jobs, especially when we have had the opportunities to reign in government growth instead of spending so much, I will not be taking any compensation should we be called into special session to take up mid-year budget cuts,” said State Rep. Jeff Duncan, one of several lawmakers who spoke with us yesterday.
Duncan added he did not take compensation the last time the legislature was called into emergency session by Gov. Jim Hodges in December 2002 and “I don’t plan on taking any now.”
The first lawmaker we heard from who said he wouldn’t accept any taxpayer reimbursement for the emergency session was Rep. Murrell Smith, who mentioned it several weeks ago, but clearly a group of conservatives is rallying around the idea.
“When we’re asking others to take cuts and endure sacrifices, this is the least we can do,” Smith said.
Reps. Mick Mulvaney and Dr. Kris Crawford also indicated they would accept no reimbursement for the session, as did Reps. Nikki Haley and Gary Simrill,
“I will absolutely not accept any payment from the taxpayers if called back to Columbia,” Simrill told us.
So what should lawmakers cut when they get back?
Glad you asked … because the lawmakers we spoke with had several ideas, as well as several harsh words for some of the wasteful spending practices that have landed our state in this mess in the first place.
Stay tuned to FITS for that story … as well as an update on which lawmakers decide to give up their reimbursements for the greater good.
Comments
By James on September 30th, 2008 at 8:19 am
We haven’t even made it through the first 3 months of the year and Duncan has the nerve to call the second round of budget cuts “mid-year” budget cuts?
What a bold move to forgo that $25 a day meal allowance. This is all we can applaud from a self-professed “Reagan conservative”? Here’s an idea – how about highlighting someon’e sacred cow that you’re going to field dress? Now THAT would be worthy of applause.
Come on slickster – don’t be swindled like that. It’s that type of linguistic gymnastics that provides cover for the unconstituional legislation that was passed in June.
By Jeff Duncan on September 30th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
So its not “mid-year” cuts it is…..what….. “early-in-the-year” cuts?
You miss the point initially but make up for it in your last line. If we had not created huge budgets over the past two years, if we had been more fiscally responsible, we might not be at this point of budget cuts. My record is clear on spending issues.
If you want to criticize something, then look at how Jim Rex applied his across the board cuts – by cutting program funding which affects the school districts instead of doing what most businesses do – look a cutting not-essential personnel, new hires, new projects, travel, office supplies – practice a little austerity.
Slickster – pleeeeaaaase.
By Stroker Ace on October 1st, 2008 at 11:56 am
yay for Nikki Haley for making that long drive across the Gervais Street bridge. if she is that concerned, she should take the inept bus system and save are fledgling roads with her gas guzzler. Mulvaney is a millionaire, how nice of him….Crawford is a doc, how nice…maybe someone with credibility will take his lame ass out next year