Pennsylvania legislators to repeal pay raises

At 2 a.m. July 7, without public hearings, the Pennsylvania Legislature voted for pay raises for legislators, cabinet members and the judiciary. Since then, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today, there has been a massive public outcry against the raises. Yesterday the House and Senate passed bills repealing the 16 to 34 percent pay raises but with a key difference. The Senate version would repeal legislators' raises even if judges get their raises via a lawsuit. The House version would restore all raises if judges get their raises. (The Pennsylvania constitution prohibits reducing compensation for judges.) The Senate President calls the House's nonseverability clause "a poison pill" subverting the entire legislation. The Legislature is not scheduled to meet again until Nov. 14.

"This is the start toward correcting a major wrong that was done to the people of Pennsylavnia," said Barry Kaufman of Common Cause which had filed a federal lawsuit against the raises.