Jindal reminded of earlier pledge to stop pay raise

• By MARSHA SHULER AND JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 18, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

When he campaigned last year Gov. Bobby Jindal promised voters he would stop legislators from approving a pay raise for themselves that took effect immediately.

Now, Jindal is preparing to let legislation become law that would do just that.

Meanwhile, only 20 of the 142 members of the Louisiana Legislature opted Tuesday to refuse the pay raise that takes effect July 1.

The Legislature approved Monday a bill that would double members’ base pay from $16,800 to $37,500. The increase in pay makes their compensation package nearly $60,000 a year — up from about $35,000 today.

Jindal said in a prepared statement Monday that he opposes the pay increase but would not stop it from taking effect.

A Jindal campaign brochure said as governor he would “prohibit legislators from giving themselves pay raises that take effect before the subsequent election.”

Jindal’s campaign literature states: “Any increase in salary approved by the Legislature should take effect after the next election so the public can decide who deserves that compensation.”

New Orleans-area attorney C.B. Forgotston, who also writes for a political Web site, called attention to Jindal’s promise Tuesday.

Jindal did not respond Tuesday to four requests to discuss his current statements and his earlier campaign pledge.

Jindal press secretary Melissa Sellers issued a statement in response to questions: “The governor has said all along and even included in his campaign materials that legislators should not give themselves a pay raise until after the next election.”

Pressed on why the governor would not veto the pay raise given his prior pledge, Sellers issued another prepared statement: “As the governor continues to say, he opposes any pay raise that takes effect before the next election, but he will not let anything, even this clearly excessive pay raise, stop us from moving Louisiana forward with a clear plan for reform.”

Tuesday was the deadline for legislators to decide whether they would take the pay raise.

Thirteen out of 104 House members opted not to take the $20,700-a-year increase in their base pay. Four of them had voted for the pay increase but opted not to take it themselves. One did not vote and the rest opposed.