Pa. senators repeal pay raise for themselves

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Responding to months of public uproar, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously voted Wednesday to repeal a July law that gave big pay raises to lawmakers, judges and senior executive-branch officials.
The repeal's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Sean Logan, said the action would "restore some integrity" that lawmakers lost in passing the bill in the middle of the night without debate or public notice.
The law enabled lawmakers to immediately collect raises of 16 percent to 54 percent if they chose, despite a constitutional ban on midterm raises.
There was no immediate word on what action the House might take on the repeal bill.
Gov. Ed Rendell's press secretary, Kate Philips, said the governor had not yet seen the bill or decided whether to support it.
Public outrage over the pay raise has dragged down lawmakers' polling figures and fueled 2006 primary challengers. On Sept. 26, the first day the entire General Assembly was back in session, more than 1,000 protesters turned out in the rain at the Capitol to demand repeal of the raises.
The pay-raise bill passed 27-23 in the Senate and 119-79 in the House, increasing Pennsylvania legislators' base salary to $81,050, the second-highest in the nation.
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