Special Session Per Diem
OLYMPIA - Lawmakers needed more time to hammer out a budget. But it's costing you more money. Aciton News is continuing to count the dollars and found which lawmakers aren't willing to pass up their per diem in this special session.
Action News made the calls to get the names. We obtained a list of lawmakers who turned down the $90 a day per diem for the special session. You've complained that if lawmakers couldn't balance a budget in 60 days, they shouldn't take extra money to keep working.
Just about every lawmaker in our region from Ellensburg to Walla Walla has passed on some of the cash, but not all of the cash.
Up until this week, Sen. Jerome Delvin, Rep. Bruce Chandler, and Rep. Judy Warnick took every dollar of their per diem. For the three, that adds up to almost $3,000.
Action News called all three and found out Senator Delvin and Representative Chandler aren't taking per diem as of this week because they're no longer in Olympia.
As a ranking republican on the Capitol Budget Committee, Rep. Warnick is still in Olympia, and still taking her full per diem.
But another ranking republican, Walla Walla's Mike Hewitt, is also working there without his daily stipend.
And Action News spoke with Rep. Chandler by phone, he defended his choice to take the money during special session.
"If we want a citizen legislature people can't go broke or they won't run, and then all you'll have is affluent people in office," said Chandler.
Like Chandler, Delvin is back home and off per diem but says he'll collect again when he gets called back to Olympia.
"It's the cost of doing business. I rent a room in a house and I have to continue to pay rent," Delvin said. "It was supposed to be done March 11th. But now it's still going andI still pay rent for a place to stay."
This list of lawmakers forgoing the stipend is helping save money. It's still costing the state roughly $14,000 a day to keep hashing out a way to fill the budget gap.
We called for the latest numbers. On total cost, it has added up to $153,000 for the first eight days of special session.
Action News made the calls to get the names. We obtained a list of lawmakers who turned down the $90 a day per diem for the special session. You've complained that if lawmakers couldn't balance a budget in 60 days, they shouldn't take extra money to keep working.
Just about every lawmaker in our region from Ellensburg to Walla Walla has passed on some of the cash, but not all of the cash.
Up until this week, Sen. Jerome Delvin, Rep. Bruce Chandler, and Rep. Judy Warnick took every dollar of their per diem. For the three, that adds up to almost $3,000.
Action News called all three and found out Senator Delvin and Representative Chandler aren't taking per diem as of this week because they're no longer in Olympia.
As a ranking republican on the Capitol Budget Committee, Rep. Warnick is still in Olympia, and still taking her full per diem.
But another ranking republican, Walla Walla's Mike Hewitt, is also working there without his daily stipend.
And Action News spoke with Rep. Chandler by phone, he defended his choice to take the money during special session.
"If we want a citizen legislature people can't go broke or they won't run, and then all you'll have is affluent people in office," said Chandler.
Like Chandler, Delvin is back home and off per diem but says he'll collect again when he gets called back to Olympia.
"It's the cost of doing business. I rent a room in a house and I have to continue to pay rent," Delvin said. "It was supposed to be done March 11th. But now it's still going andI still pay rent for a place to stay."
This list of lawmakers forgoing the stipend is helping save money. It's still costing the state roughly $14,000 a day to keep hashing out a way to fill the budget gap.
We called for the latest numbers. On total cost, it has added up to $153,000 for the first eight days of special session.
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