In today’s Senate Finance Committee press availability I asked if Sen. Donny Olson would receive additional staffers to move to the Senate Majority Caucus and if so if that staffing increase would be offset by corresponding reductions elsewhere in legislative staff.
This would seem an appropriate question seeing as the Senate Finance Committee has been very vocal about their need to hunt down and kill government staffing positions elsewhere in the state budget. If you think I’m being overly dramatic in my characterization watch this clip from one of the committee meetings:
So what did they say?
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Sen. Mackinnon went on to say the reduction would come from the legislature’s staff and travel budget, but couldn’t say where or how.
I understand that to spend from the Constitutional Budget Reserve will again require a 3/4 vote from both the House and Senate. 3/4 of 20 Senators = 15 Senators; however, I bet they sense that one Republican might bolt when he or she ponders explaining that vote to constituents. Is Olson simply insurance?
The video was very effective, as it showed that they were like deer caught in the headlights.
If they can’t give a straight answer here, wait until the budget fun and games start, and they try to take away your Permanent Fund Dividends to maintain their swollen perks and swollen staff with swollen salaries.