Some Lawmakers Donating Special Session Pay To Charities

By Quinn Fitzgerald
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS ­––Some members of the Indiana General Assembly are giving the pay they receive for the special session to charity.

Monday, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced that the General Assembly will hold a special session in May, during which he wants legislators to address bills focused on school safety and tax system adjustments that would match changes at the federal level.

The estimated cost for the special session is $30,000 per day with legislators receiving a daily expense stipend of $173 as determined by the federal government.

Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, agrees with Holcomb’s decision to call for a special session because of the issues that need to be addressed before 2019 but said it is appropriate to donate any pay he receives to charity.

Long announced Wednesday that the Senate Republican leadership will contribute special session per diem to the Military Family Relief Fund.

The MFRF, which is administered by the state through the Indiana Veterans’ Affairs Commission, provides financial assistance to veterans and their families for basic needs such as food, housing, child care, medical services, education, transportation and utilities.

Long said donating to the MFRF respects Indiana taxpayers by keeping the money within the state while providing needed resources to military families.

“While it is entirely up to each individual legislator what to do with their per diem payment, we are encouraging our colleagues to follow our lead and donate to the MFRF,” he said. “We believe this is the right thing to do.”

Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, is also donating to the MFRF and said elected officials of the General Assembly should accept the fault for not getting the work done in time during the regular session.

“It’s just the right thing to do to donate to charity or to refund back to the state,” Holdman said.

While lawmakers can’t legally opt-out from being paid for days worked, each is allowed to determine whether or not to donate their per diem to charitable causes. So, while House Democratic Leader Terry Goodin, D-Austin, and Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, are against a special session altogether, they will also make donations.

Because Holcomb and Republican leaders have said they will not be addressing issues with the Department of Child Services during the May session, the minority leaders in both chambers said they will donate to groups who support at-risk children.

“As the Republican supermajority’s mismanagement jeopardized the ability of the legislature to take any action to help our children in the Department of Children Services, I will take any pay that I must receive during the special session and donate that money to assist children who are in the foster system,” Lanane said.

Wednesday, House Speaker Brian Bosma said the session could potentially last only one day, but he and his wife, Cheryl, are donating $1,500 to the Indiana Association of Resources and Child Advocacy. Bosma challenged Goodin, Lanane and Indianapolis Star columnist Tim Swarens to do the same.

“There’s been some who’ve been trying to make political hay out of this,” Bosma said.

Goodin declined and said Long and Bosma should have chosen to meet the challenge of doing their jobs in the regular session instead of issuing challenges now in an attempt to cover up their own mistakes.

“The charities I choose will be those that benefit Hoosier veterans, as well as at-risk children – exactly the children that should have been helped this session by those who run the Legislature by taking a more active interest in reforming the state’s Department of Child Services,” Goodin said in a statement.

Along with Goodin, the House Democrats who have confirmed they are donating their pay are: Reps. Ed DeLaney, Indianapolis; Dan Forestal, Indianapolis; Carey Hamilton, Indianapolis; Ryan Hatfield, Evansville; Sheila Klinker, Lafayette; Justin Moed, Indianapolis; and Melanie Wright, Yorktown.

Brent Stinson, press secretary for the Senate Democrats, said the group has yet to meet and discuss whether they will be donating their pay. Sens. Jean Breaux, Indianapolis, and Lanane are the only members of the caucus to confirm their contributions.

Senate Republicans who are joining Holdman and Long in giving to charities are: Sens. Rodric Bray, Martinsville; Liz Brown, Fort Wayne; Michael Crider, Greenfield; Susan Glick, LaGrange; Randy Head, Logansport; Jim Merritt, Indianapolis; Mark Messmer, Jasper; Ryan Mishler, Bremen; Chip Perfect, Lawrenceburg; John Ruckelshaus, Indianapolis; and Jim Tomes, Wadesville.

Erin Reece, director of communications and technology for the House Republican Caucus, said a comprehensive list of members who are donating is not available.

FOOTNOTE: Quinn Fitzgerald is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.