State Sen. Ernesto Scorsone has asked that his pay be forfeited for days the Senate does not convene during the special legislative session that is currently in hiatus until July 30. In letters sent Friday to Treasurer Jonathan Miller and Robert Sherman, executive director of the Legislative Research Commission, Scorsone wrote, "I can not in good conscience accept legislative pay during the period that this General Assembly is adjourned from July 10 through July 29, 2007."
Scorsone said he would accept pay for those days when he attends interim commitee meetings, but asked that his pay be withheld for the other days.
In a release put out by Senate Democrats, Scorsone was quoted as saying, "Nothing in this session has been extraordinary, except perhaps for the governor’s extraordinary need to use the political process for his own re-election campaign. This has simply been an exercise in wasting time and money. The Senate Republican leadership is merely throwing good money away after bad by suggesting that legislators should be paid for not working. It’s an abuse of taxpayer dollars to pretend as if work is being done, when it’s clear that nothing is being accomplished. The House is correct in forfeiting session pay. This entire session has been Republican political theater on the taxpayers’ dime."
Since I can’t say it any better, I’ll just leave it there.
Larry Dale Keeling, a columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader, has spent most of his 35-plus years in journalism reporting on or writing editorials and columns about Kentucky’s politics and political issues. He now brings his experience and expertise on those topics to the KyKurmudgeon blog.
I can’t understand what is going on in the heads of Speaker Jody Richards and the Democrat leadership of the Kentucky House of Representatives. They objected to the special session and complained about its cost, which they pegged at $60,000 per day. The House convened on 7/5/2007 for just one hour and went home. Since they did not adjourn sine die, they are still getting paid their per diem and expenses. As of today (7/16/2007), they have been paid for 12 days at a cost to the taxpayers of $720,000 and they have done nothing to earn their money. What the hell are the House Democrats thinking?
The Republican led Senate did earn some of their money. They took the 65 plus items on the call, lumped them into 5 bills and passed all of them with substantial bipartisan support. They did all of that work in just three days. However, they are still getting paid, too. The Senate could not adjourn sine die because the House didn’t, leaving the taxpayers paying the bill.
People supporting Jody Richards, Larry Clark, Rocky Adkins and Harry Moberly must have something between their ears besides brains to let the Democrats pull stuff like this. Vote them out and get us some Democrat leadership that we can look up to. They are idiots!
Ted Smith
I’m not sure what the Democrats are thinking, but Fletcher has been in power for 4 years and done nothing. What is he thinking?