Editorial: Frozen salaries could be start for Harrisburg cooperation

It often seems like no one in government can get on the same page.

The president clashes with Congress. The Senate wars with the House of Representatives. The Republicans battle the Democrats. It all repeats at the state level.

Every year, over and over, on issue after issue after issue. Important topics like keeping our kids healthy and supplying our military, preventing violence and paying down debt become secondary to the scoreboard in a game where the only thing that matters is who is on what team.

And so it is always surprising when everyone stops playing the game and just does the right thing.

On Monday, the Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill that would freeze the annual salary increase for legislators for a year, but also stick a pin in judicial paychecks and those of top executive officials like Gov. Tom Wolf, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Cabinet secretaries, attorney general, auditor general and treasurer.

It didn’t just pass. It passed unanimously. In May, the same thing happened in the state House.

And Wolf has suggested he will sign it when it crosses his desk.

This is the kind of all-for-one-and-one-for-all mentality that Pennsylvanians would appreciate any year. According to a PennLive.com report, the 2020 pay raise was a 1.9% increase that carried a cost of $3.2 million.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, with many out of work and others fighting to keep their businesses open tooth and claw, not paying more for someone else’s paycheck is a godsend. With schools and municipalities and other public services pouring so much extra time and money into providing services in new and challenging ways, there are limitless ways that money could be better used.

Pennsylvanians are waiting in lines for milk and food. People don’t know how they will pay the rent or the electric bill when protections roll back. Parents are struggling to make decisions about school or child care if they have to go back to work. What will happen when the pool of unemployment funds runs out?

These issues have all been debated by leaders. The House and Senate in Washington have come to a standstill on packages to help. So have talks between the White House and the lawmakers. Harrisburg is no better.

But in this one move, the state leaders have found that one page where they can all gather — the solution upon which they can all agree.

It isn’t the final step. It won’t solve all the problems. But if they can unanimously come to one action, maybe they can find a way to agree on more.