by KYW's Tony Romeo
For once, it appears Pennsylvania lawmakers will have to live like many of the people they represent. It seems the down economy means legislators, judges and other top state officials won’t get a raise this year.
Ever since the 2005 pay raise bill and the backlash that followed, it’s become an annual ritual in the state capitol: waiting for word on what kind of raise lawmakers, judges and top executive branch officials will get.
The big pay raise passed in 2005 was ultimately repealed for everyone except the judges, but thanks to an older piece of legislation, they’re still in line for an annual cost of living increase. That raise is tied to the federal Consumer Price Index for the Philadelphia metropolitan region.
But this year, that index went down, so there will be no raise. And no, it doesn’t work that way -- a decrease in the index does not mean lawmakers will get a pay cut.
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