MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - A one-vote difference led to rejection Tuesday of a proposal to put more money into the pockets of Missouri lawmakers.
The House Budget Committee, including Committee Chairman Sheila Lumpe, defeated 15-16 a bill to raise the daily expense allowance for lawmakers - called the per diem.
But the issue is far from dead. Four members missed the committee vote, increasing the chances of reconsideration. And, similar legislation is pending in the Senate.
Lumpe, who voted against the bill, said she saw a number of reasons the raise failed. "Some people would rather wait and see if the Senate bill comes over," the St. Louis County Democrat said.
Others may have felt the increase from $35 to $68 per day was too much, said Lumpe, who voted against the raise.
On the Senate side, Mike Lybyer, D-Huggins, is sponsoring a bill to increase per diem at a higher rate than House members proposed. Lybyer's bill would make state lawmakers' per diem pay equal to the federal per diem rate, which is $86 per day.
The current rate has been in effect since 1977 when lawmakers set the expense allowance to the federal rate of that time. It is designed to cover lodging, meals and transportation expenses in Jefferson City.
"We're going to run into a problem, a very serious problem, getting people to come up here in the prime of their careers," said Rep. Jim Murphy, R-St. Louis County.
Murphy was one of three representatives who sponsored bills to increase per diem pay. The Budget Committee combined the three bills when they voted.
Rep. Deleta Williams, D-Warrensburg, said that, although she supports a per diem raise, she voted against it because of a constitutional question as to whether lawmakers have the power to up their own per diem pay.
The issue arose because of the new salary commission recently established by the constitution to recommend salary and per diem increases for lawmakers.
Last month, the House and Senate rejected the commission's salary increase package that included a boost in the per diem.
Some lawmakers argue that approval of the salary commission's recommendations is the only way lawmakers now can raise the per diem.
Williams said the only way she sees that question being answered is through the court system. That could happen if the increase passed and then was challenged in court on its constitutionality.
"I voted what some people might think was strangely," she said. "I wanted to make the statement."
Williams agreed with Lumpe and Murphy in saying she thinks the House will revisit the issue this session.
"I think we'll see is again," Williams said. "I expect the Senate bill to come over."