GOP forgoes pay reductions

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Conn. GOP forgoes pay cuts

Updated: Tuesday, 31 Mar 2009, 12:46 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 27 Mar 2009, 7:04 PM EDT

Hartford (WTNH) - Back in January, Connecticut House Republicans proposed that state legislators take a five percent pay cut due to the growing state budget deficit. The measure was voted down by the Democrats, but some lawmakers took the voluntary cuts anyway and it turns out, most of them are Democrats.

Republicans in the Connecticut House were so proud of their effort, they posted it on YouTube.

"And what this amendment does is reduces our salaries by five percent in this fiscal year and next fiscal year and I would move its adoption," said Rep. Bill Hamzy (R-Terryville).

The video proudly proclaims that the Democrats voted the idea down. At the time, the Democrats said anyone who wanted to take a cut was free to do so.

Among Republicans, Hamzy is the only one that did.

13 Democrats, all in the State Senate, have taken some kind of salary cut or furlough.

Senator Ed Meyer (D-Branford) took a five percent cut.

"I'm able to afford to do it, some of my colleagues are not able to afford to do it and I didn't want to put any pressure. In fact, I did not- I never announced this," Sen. Meyer said.

Sen. Mary Ann Handley (D-Manchester) is giving up 12 days pay, but she says it's a bad idea to force everyone to do it.

"We certainly don't want to chase good people out of the legislature by insisting on this," Sen. Handley said.

Sen. Handley went on to say she didn't know why most of the Republicans have not taken pay cuts.

Chief Political Correspondent Mark Davis asked Rep. Hamzy, "I realize there's not as many of you as there are of them, but how come nobody else has done it?"

"I can't speak for anyone else; like I said all along, this is something I felt comfortable doing," answered Rep. Hamzy. "I'm sure in time, other people in the General Assembly will do the same thing."

Gov. Jodi Rell’s budget office is predicting that the state budget deficit for the next two fiscal years will be nearly $7.4 billion.

Next week, a key legislative committee will release their version of the state budget. It's expected to have a lot more cuts.