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Feb 12, 2007 1:10 pm US/Central
GOP Push For Pay Raise Vote Fails In Senate
St. Paul (AP) ―
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No additional approval is required, but Sen. Ray Vandeveer says the higher daily allowance for meals and incidental costs are a backdoor pay increase. (File)
CBS
A Republican lawmaker's effort to force a Senate vote on higher expense allowances failed Monday.
Sen. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake, tried a procedural move to make all his colleagues vote on the per diem raise, already approved by the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. He argued that the raise deserved a broader discussion in the DFL-controlled Senate.
His motion failed on a 19-46 vote.
"Why are we afraid to bring this issue up and deal with it here on the floor?" Vandeveer said.
The Senate panel bumped the daily allowance for meals and incidental expenses to $96 last month. The House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee hiked payments for representatives to $77 a day. The old daily rate was $66.
No further approval was needed, but Vandeveer and Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan, said the per diem raise amounted to a pay increase by another name. Individual senators could collect $4,200 more this year from the higher payments, and House members could get an extra $1,540.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
