Most lawmakers taking paycheck
PITTSBURGH – A newspaper is reporting most Pennsylvania lawmakers are collecting their salaries while the state endures a three-month-old budget impasse.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said Saturday 14 state representatives didn’t claim their paychecks from the House chief clerk’s office in August, though more may have not cashed them.
The Legislature includes 203 House members and 50 senators. Rank-and-file base pay is currently $85,000.
The House Democrats recently took an advance from the state treasury to cover payroll. A Senate spokesman said it has less than $10 million left in reserve, with payroll and operational costs that run about $3 million every two weeks.
There’s a pending proposal to suspend lawmakers’ pay in the event of a budget impasse, but even the sponsor concedes the idea probably won’t be enacted.