Louisiana House Member To Donate Pay For Next Special Session
State Rep. Malinda White said the pay she will accrue during the next special session will be donated, and she thinks other representatives should do it too.
As you probably know by now, the legislature failed to make any movement during their second special session that ended at midnight Monday with a filibuster to block the revote of a bill to keep half of the sales tax penny for six more years, which expires on June 30.
Governor Edwards expressed his frustration, as well as saying he will call another special session to try and get things right.
Legislators are paid a per diem for each special session. This ultimately costs tax payers between $50,000 and $60,000 per day.
“By failing again to pass a solution to fund the budget, the legislature in Baton Rouge has abandoned the people of our state. It makes me sick. Our failure should not cost taxpayers more. That’s why I won’t take my pay for the next legislative session,” White said in a press release.
Under the rules, it's not possible to just refuse the check, so White will ultimately donate the money she would have made during the session, which comes out to about $1,500 for 10 days.
She said that if all legislators went without pay for the session, “We’d fix this thing like that,” she said with a snap of her fingers.