EDITORIAL: Lawmakers shouldn’t get per diem for extra sessions

TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Wash. (TNS)

Several Washington state lawmakers went all out in collecting the $120 in daily expenses, commonly called per diem, throughout the triple-overtime legislative session. Fourteen legislators claimed more than $20,000 in per diem expenses.

And while it is all legal, it does leave a bad taste in taxpayers’ mouths. The only reason lawmakers had to go into three overtime sessions – which gave them the opportunity to collect extra cash – is because they failed to do the people’s work in a timely manner.

Why are we, as taxpayers, rewarding them for not doing their jobs?

Perhaps the rules need to be changed so lawmakers can’t collect per diem beyond the regular legislative session. It would not only save a few bucks, but it could provide incentive to get the people’s work done on time.

Seattle Times reporter Joseph O’Sullivan put the spotlight on the per diem payments when he took a microscope (metaphorically speaking) to the payouts to see who collected the most cash.

The three lawmakers representing the 16th Legislative District and the Walla Walla and Touchet valleys – Sen. Maureen Walsh, R-College Place, Rep. Terry Nealey, R-Dayton and Rep. Bill Jenkin, R-Prosser – did not make the list of heavy collectors of per diem. All three claimed $12,000 in the regular 105 session expenses but very little during the special sessions. Walsh claimed $3,120 over the 90 days of special sessions, Rep. Bill Jenkin claimed $1,560 and Rep. Terry Nealey claimed zero.

During this year’s overtime sessions, most lawmakers headed home to their districts, while a handful of legislative leaders hammered out the budget details and a court-ordered school-funding plan.

Yet, some of the lawmakers not in Olympia claimed expenses.

Democratic Sen. Bob Hasegawa, for example, wasn’t among the key budget negotiators. His total amount claimed for the regular session and special sessions came to $22,680.

Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, who collected $23,160 in per diem, moved his family to Olympia and took unpaid leave from his job at the Douglas County PUD for about seven months.

Sen. Michael Baumgatner, R-Spokane, also collected $23,160 in per diem, which was the highest amount collected.

But, O’Sullivan reported, many lawmakers seen at the Capitol during triple overtime collected less an $20,000 in per diem. This includes Democrats House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan of Covington and Sen. Christine Rolfes of Bainbridge Island, and Republicans Rep. David Taylor of Moxee and Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler of Ritzville. Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, the GOP’s chief budget writer, didn’t take a single penny in per diem.

Those who didn’t collect much or any of the per diem acted prudently. It seems, given the special sessions year after year, per diem should be eliminated for legislative overtime.

Editorials are the opinion of the Union-Bulletin’s Editorial Board. The board is composed of Brian Hunt, Rick Eskil, James Blethen and Alasdair Stewart

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)2017 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, Wash.)

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AP-WF-09-14-17 0521GMT