The longer the Legislature goes without passage of a budget for Pennsylvania, the more likely it is that services which depend on its annual funding appropriations will be disrupted.
State Rep. Jill Cooper, R-Murrysville, is of the mind that legislators should be feeling that same disruption.
“By law, we’re supposed to have the budget done by July 1,” Cooper said. “We shouldn’t get paid if that’s not getting done.”
To that end, Cooper has begun seeking co-sponsors for a bill which would do just that — suspend compensation to state officials when a budget is not passed by the mandated deadline.
“We should follow our own laws, right?” Cooper asked. “I think we should be feeling the same pain that places like school districts and other groups are going to be feeling.”
Neither chamber is scheduled to return to Harrisburg until September, but leaders can call members back early if a plan is negotiated.
Cooper is one of 12 House members who did not accept their salaries for July. The other 11 lawmakers, according to USA Today, are: Tim Brennan, D-Bucks; Frank Burns, D-Cambria; Jamie Flick, R-Lycoming; Joe Hogan, R-Bucks; Tom Jones, R-Lancaster; Brett Miller, R-Lancaster; Leslie Rossi, R-Unity; Abigail Salisbury, D-Swissvale; Christina Sappey, D-Chester; Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester; and Perry Warren, D-Bucks.
Cooper said that if the budget so frequently misses its deadline, legislators should be motivated to start the process sooner.
“Hopefully, this is a way to do that,” she said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t get our pay. Just that it’s suspended until the budget is passed.”
The bill proposal in its current form would suspend compensation for the governor, lieutenant governor and members of General Assembly during a budget impasse.
“My motivation is simple. Right now, we have a missed deadline, and, worse yet, there seems to be a lack of urgency to complete the job as soon as possible,” Cooper said. “Workers across the state, whose taxes actually pay our salaries, would have been fired for the same behaviors.”
Cooper represents the newly reshaped 55th District, which includes Arnold, New Kensington, Bell, Loyalhanna, Salem, Upper Burrell, Washington, Avonmore, Delmont, Export, New Alexandria, Oklahoma, Murrysville and parts of Lower Burrell and Derry.
