The governor is disappointed, but not surprised, that senators overrode Bill 222.
​He agreed with the bill, but not the obvious exclusion of the other two branches. ​The governor calls ​on the Legislature to demonstrate parity by hearing and passing the bill he sent to them. ​His version is identical to the Vice Speaker’s bill, except it includes ​the two other branches. The Legislature and Judiciary have bonus and lump sum payouts.
​There apparently is a group of senators who believe these two branches should be treated differently from the Executive Branch. They’re protecting their special interests. If that’s not wrong, I don’t know what is.​
​The governor has called these same senators to do what is right and what is fair, and yet the political games continue. With the upcoming legislative election, the governor looks forward to engaging the community and reminding voters that several incumbents have serious problems with parity and transparency.
​The governor will continue pointing out the hypocrisy of incumbents who preach the old, ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ line. Passing Bill 222 without including the Legislature does something pretty sly: it protects senators from paying lump sums with their lapses, at least for now. Had senators included themselves in Bill 222, they wouldn’t be able to use their lapses for legislative lump sum payments. The hypocritical irony is that senators have $1.3 million in lapses. They used this pot of money to pay their unbudgeted salary increases and lump sums, then raided the Capitol District Fund to make themselves whole, then took money from the administration to pay back the restricted Capitol District Fund.
They did all of this knowing that they went to court saying it is wrong for the executive branch to take money from a special fund; and that even if it is repaid it is still not right.
