© 2024 WUKY
background_fid.jpg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Special Session Over - Pay Dispute Remains

By Tony McVeigh

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-959649.mp3

Frankfort, KY – For all intents and purposes, Kentucky's 11-day special session on Medicaid is over. But as Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh reports, arguments over whether lawmakers should be paid for the next ten days continue to rage.

The House adjourned last night and went home, but the Senate plans to return on April 6th to consider gubernatorial vetoes. House Speaker Greg Stumbo says lawmakers must be paid until both chambers officially adjourn, so he's encouraging the Senate to gavel out.

"It takes both chambers to sine die from the session, so session will technically continue until the Senate does what we did last night.

But Senate President David Williams maintains language in the Senate bill accepted by the House requires lawmakers to forgo their pay until April 6th.

We have provisions in this bill that legislators are not to be paid during veto days, and these are veto days."

Until the legal issue is resolved, lawmakers' pay is being held in escrow. Special sessions cost taxpayers around $64,000 per day.