December 2, 2008 - 23:46

HDC leadership foregoing raise, letting rank-and-file make own decision

Leaders of the House Democratic Caucus said late Tuesday night they will personally forgo the legislature's recent pay increase but will not suspend the automatic cost-of-living adjustment for rank-and-file members.

On Monday, the legislature received a scheduled 2.8 percent pay increase. The raise infuriated reform activists, who compared it to 2005's infamous pay grab that led to 50 lawmakers either retiring or being voted out of office.

A day later, House Democratic leaders, who had previously refused to comment on the COLA, seemed to agree.

"With so many working families facing difficult decisions this winter, we will lead by example and make deep cuts to our operation and encourage all members to say 'no' to this COLA," Speaker of the House-designee Keith McCall (D-Carbon County) said in a statement.

Democratic leaders said their decision "comes in light of a worsening financial picture for Pennsylvania that will prompt Gov. Ed Rendell on Wednesday to call for additional cuts of roughly $100 million in the state budget." Predictions for the state's budget shortfall this fiscal year range from $1 billion to $2 billion.

McCall spokesman Bob Caton would not comment further on the decision's timing.

As of Wednesday night, the only members of the House Democratic leadership team confirmed to be foregoing the COLA were McCall, Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne County), Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) and Majority Whip Bill DeWeese (D-Greene County). It remains unclear whether other members of HDC leadership, such as Policy Chairman Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster County), would take the COLA.

The leadership team encouraged rank-and-file members to follow their lead but did not make doing so mandatory.

"The governor will be asking for more cuts," Evans said. "With that in mind, we are encouraging all members to give back the COLA. We hope Democrats will do and hope the Republicans will follow suit."

Eachus said House Democrats also support cuts to the General Assembly appropriations and are banning out-of-state travel while reviewing hiring policies.

Alex Roarty is a PolitickerPA.com Reporter and can be reached via email at noreply@politicker.com.

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