Northwest Fishing Reports

Panel can't reduce salary of elected officials

By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
The commission that sets the salaries of elected officials in all three branches of state government says it can't give statewide officials a pay cut, as requested by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Earlier this week, Gregoire and other statewide elected officials asked that their salaries be reduced by the same level expected to be cut from the pay of state workers.

But the Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials says that constitutionally, they're not allowed to reduce pay, only to freeze or raise it.

The commission says officials can either write a check back to the state, or donate it to charity.

Who designed this panel? Seriously?

where in the constitution does it state anything about electec officials paygrade?:scratch: sounds kinda like a fake gesture to appeal to us, so they can run on that request next election cycle.

How about they buy the Sonics back for us?

reigndawgs wrote:How about they buy the Sonics back for us?

Why would Seattle want another losing sports team?#-o

Why wouldn't the legislature have covered this at the one day special session they had? Seems pretty lame - so does it mean the governor and/or our state reps don't know how their salaries can be adjusted? Which is sad. Or, it means the governor was just flapping her jaws maybe? I mean, come on, the governor and the legsilature write the laws that the commision follows.