Vote on Pay Raise

We are hearing rumors a vote will happen shortly in the House regarding the pay raise veto.  The BlackBerries are busy in the Senate.

HJR 29 is approved in the House the governor's veto nonwithstanding.  The members are being reminded "any member opposed" to the pay increase "can refuse the increase."  The vote was 57-41 with no debate.

Groups of senators are huddling around the Senate floor.  We'll see what happens.

HJR29 has made it the Senate.

Senator Erwin has the floor.  Citizens find the pay raise "offensive.  We would be very unwise to go agains the wishes of the people...the people were offended by the voice vote...offended we took up this before any other matter...I spoke this morning...they do not like this pay raise...their first message "Wake up and smell the coffee..outrageous and morally wrong;" second "We are public servants...quit padding our own pockets..."Give it back or hit the road Jack...in my opinion what we did was wrong...I will not take this pay raise...it is the wrong thing to do...the people are the bosses...they are the taxpayers...this is a thumb in their face and a wrong thing to do."

Senator Bishop wants to know why the Senate had not voted for a pay raise since 91.  He says people in his district are asking about this...Sen. Little says it would have been around 54% had this been done ...Bishop says his numbers showed about 44% but "I might have figured it wrong."   

Sen. Little says he can not answer the question except there was not a cost of living in the last pay raise bill  but there is one in this one.

Bishop says if we take the $250 and cut it down to $50 take the PAC-to-PAC transfers...and give the people something back...I would have supported a reasonable pay raise...

Sen. Little asks if Bishop has introduced the bill...I think it's a good bill and I'll join you in supporting it. j Mr. Bishop asks if Little would help him get it out of rules....Little says he will "help you in any way."

Bishop goes back on and says there should be a roll call vote.  He goes on to say the Lt. Gov. does "not like controversy."

The vote is on.  The vote is 20-15 and the pay raise passes.  The Senate now is taking up a resolution to ensure the pay raise issue can not be brought back up.  The vote 21-14.

Little reminds members they can refuse the pay raise.

Sen. Byrne says, "The people of Alabama will get to see how we voted...whatever the consequences they lay outside this floor...I hope we put this vote behind us...We can't accomplish things if we take things down to a personal level...let's go on to other issues."

The Lt. Gov. says he agrees with Sen. Byrne and urges civility.

The following senators voted for the raise:  Barron, Bedford, Coleman, Figures, Glover, Little, T., Mitchem, Penn, Preuitt, Sanders, Beason, Denton, Griffith, Lindsey, Little, Z., McClain, Mitchell, Ross, Singleton, Smitherman.

Bishop tells Senator Little he doesn't want to leave his pay raise money with Little.  "I'm going to take the money and give it to charity."

On other issues, Sen. Sanders' FT&E committe will have five so called "technical" experts to brief the committee on the funding of the Enterprise schools.  Sen. Barron says "we don't know what that number is" referring to the $79 million requested to rebuild the schools.

Sen. Barron says he found out the high school was considered 75% damaged and so that will be considered "totaled."  Barron says the elementary school was "50%" and he's not sure what that means...Barron says answers can be gained tomorrow morning...in the proper forum."

Sen. Bishop says the House b ill then can't be taken up until next Tuesday.  Bishop says regardless of what happens if the Senate bill was brought out to the floor today even if it's passed it goes to the House.  He says the House bill comes out Wednesday. and if they don't reach an agreement the Senate bill would already be in the House if  the Senate bill was brought to the floor.

Barron again says you can't bring experts to the floor to debate.  Bishop says you can bring the sponsor of the bill. j Barron again says "We cannot bring.."  Bishop says "We can suspend the rules..."  Barron says if you do that "we'd have to go out of session."

Bishop says taking stuff personally "is ridiculous...we take it personal...when the rules are totally disregarded...we can respectfully then agree to disagree."

Senator French argues again in favor of bringing the Senate bill to the floor.  Senator Barron says there is a "precedent and methodology of replacing schools...In all other precedents the local people, the insurance company, FEMA and whatever federal agencies come with their pot of money and then the locals come to the state...to be made whole...this bill is the reverse of that...it takes all the money out of the Education Trust Fund...and then it is recovered....we're setting a precedent here."

French says, "We're in a unique situation...because the funds are available to make the funds available immediately...it's not right to wait...this bill had no opposition..."  He asks Barron again to reconsider "even if this requires some sort of minimum cap...we ought to do it sooner rather than later..."

Barron says there is much being done...if we vote it and pass it today  "it will take months before...you can turn over the first spade...to hold up this bill three days...five dayss...in the scheme of things...when we're talking about $79, $59 million...we need to have every question answered by the experts...and then proceed with haste...after tomorrow's meeting we'll have a lot of questions answered...for us to wait 16 hours..."

French says Barron has pulled the Community Service Grant money off the Special Order Calendar and he appreciates that..."We should get to the Senate bill today and put something down in the House...that puts us this much closer.,,"

French says "it ought to be a focal point for Enterprise...I think we can do better than five months..."

Senator Waggoner says he wants to read some notes from Sunday's Birmingham News:  "Inmates pnoy up for Enterprise..."  Obviously he doesn't want to hear what I want to read but I'm going to read it for the rest of the body."  Waggoner goes on to read about the inmates' contribution from the "Faith Based Honor Dorm"  more than $200 inmates contributed according to the article.

"Inmates in Kilby showed more interest in what happened in Enterprise than the Alabama Senate...they didn't put it off...they didn't wait...they did it immediately."

Waggoner now reads from a n e-mail from a mother of a student at Enterprise High School.  "My daughter feels like a homeless person..."  Suzanne Seaton(sp) from Daleville.

Waggoner says "I think it takes a person with a cold heart not to cause this to happen (bringing the SB to the floor.)."

Senator Holley says nearly half of the rooms in the elemetary school have to be replaced...walls have shifted....mold and mildew throughout the building....all the classrooms have wooden floors in this 55-year-old building...they were under water 48 hours and you know what happens to wooden floors...I think I would second-guess rebuilding a 55-year-old building....the local issue right now is those kids...need a building...what you're really doing is making a loan to ...the state uperintendent...to pay for the building to b e built...the state superintendent builds the building...they would have been screaming and hollering that Enterprise was mispending the money...it is a challenge...every day we procrastinate...every day we relay...it has to do with a power grab - one way or the highway...i want to tell you this...the morning after the tornado hit I called the building commissioner...the expert..."  He told Holley I'm not the person to do that according to Holley...you'll have to get that from the expert - the architect says Holley...Now this guy is going to come in...I asked him first and he chose not to get invilved...I understand that person was in Enterprise and rode around the building...those that saw him believe he just rode around the building and didn't get out and inpsect them..."

i took a short break to talk to Sen. Jabbo Waggoner on the pay raise issue...he says he will take the raise but give a "good portion" to charity.  I'll have more on the pay raise issue later.

Sen. Holley is being asked about the athletic facilities being replaced.

Sen. French says he heard the director of risk management say there wasn't any "negligiable: benefit."

"It costs as much to build on a new site as it would to build...on this one (the old site)," says Sen. Holley.

Sen. French says "Perhaps what we could do is an amendment to limit the funds for non-instructional for a period of time."   Sen. Holley says he has no objection depending on how the amendment was worded.  "We've been limited to how we can explain these things," says Holley.

Sen. Holley asks again to bring up SB94 there are two objections Bedford and Little and Holley then makes a motion to adjourn.

Sen. Little wants to speak and "Thankthe folks from Enterprise who came up here to the Senate today.  I want you to know we are going to rebuild your school...we will rebuild your schools."

"The chair usually doesn't get involved, but whatever motivations reside anywhere, whether their perceived or real...let's move forward...I know there are some real issues...it is important...I believe there is some misunderstanding as to motives on both sides...this needs to be addressed quickly and we need to move forward," says Lt. Gov. Folsom.

Mr. Bedford says he supports the rebuilding of the shcools.

The Senate will stand adjourned until 10 a.m. Thursday.  The Lt. Gov. says the ayes have it although there was a little shotting match on the issue.

Comments

[Terry Austin]

I feel that for that kind of money they should work at least 10 months a year and nothing extra for special secions.

[Charles]

Will the State worker get a rasie
This time around.

[Gaye Paper]

I work for the state. Twice a year I have to attend a manditory conference which requires spending two nights away from home. When state employees do this they are compenstated $75.00 a day. That is for both motel and meals. Needless to say that does not cover all of the expeneses. These people work for the state. Why shouldn't they have to follow similar guildlines. They all knew the pay when the ran for office.

[Virginia]

I want a list of those who voted for a raise.I will do everything in my power to get these people out of office in the 2010 election.
Shame on everyone of you for stealing from the citizens of Alabama.I won't forget and won't let anyone I can contact forget.

[Dan]

Excellent coverage... what a day!

[Peter]

First let me state this, "Why do the part time Politicians here in Alabama feel that giving themselves a 60% pay raise without asking us, The taxpayers if it is OK." Why do they feel they deserve such a huge pay raise when the majority of the rest of the people struggle everyday just stay above water and make ends meet.

I feel we need to rethink the way a lot of things happen in this world and in my opinion one of the biggest things is the pay scale for people.

Why is it that the people who teach our kids, take care of our elderly, keep us safe from fires and crime are not truly paid commensurate to the work done. People like the Nurses and Nurses Aids that take care of our Parents, Grand-Parents and our mentally retarded. The only people in health care that are truely paid well are the doctors. Have you ever thought of what all they do in a day to take care of these people? Probably not. But it is not an easy job at all.

People like our Emergency Services personal such as Fire Departments, Ambulance drivers, EMTs & Paramedics. What about the Police that protect us from all of the bad guys out there. These men and women put there life on the line for "YOU & ME" everyday. They get up and go to work not knowing for sure if they will ever get to come home and see their family again. Do you think they are truly paid what they should be getting? I don't.

Think about how many times The people in the medical field come into contact with someone who has a debilitating and or deadly disease such as TB, Hepatitis, HIV just to name a few. DO YOU THINK THE ARE PAID ENOUGH? I DO NOT.

The majority of the people who do the majority of the hard work are the people who struggle the most daily to make ends meet. WHY?

I think we need to start standing up for these people and speak out about this. If you feel the same speak up now before it gets any worse.

[Peter]

First let me state this, "Why do the part time Politicians here in Alabama feel that giving themselves a 60% pay raise without asking us, The taxpayers if it is OK." Why do they feel they deserve such a huge pay raise when the majority of the rest of the people struggle everyday just stay above water and make ends meet.

I feel we need to rethink the way a lot of things happen in this world and in my opinion one of the biggest things is the pay scale for people.

Why is it that the people who teach our kids, take care of our elderly, keep us safe from fires and crime are not truly paid commensurate to the work done. People like the Nurses and Nurses Aids that take care of our Parents, Grand-Parents and our mentally retarded. The only people in health care that are truely paid well are the doctors. Have you ever thought of what all they do in a day to take care of these people? Probably not. But it is not an easy job at all.

People like our Emergency Services personal such as Fire Departments, Ambulance drivers, EMTs & Paramedics. What about the Police that protect us from all of the bad guys out there. These men and women put there life on the line for "YOU & ME" everyday. They get up and go to work not knowing for sure if they will ever get to come home and see their family again. Do you think they are truly paid what they should be getting? I don't.

Think about how many times The people in the medical field come into contact with someone who has a debilitating and or deadly disease such as TB, Hepatitis, HIV just to name a few. DO YOU THINK THE ARE PAID ENOUGH? I DO NOT.

The majority of the people who do the majority of the hard work are the people who struggle the most daily to make ends meet. WHY?

I think we need to start standing up for these people and speak out about this. If you feel the same speak up now before it gets any worse.