Wisconsin Will No Longer Pay Fugitive Law-Breakers By Direct Deposit

Hey, that was suggested here.

State senators who miss two or more session days will no longer get paid through direct deposit. They'll have to pick up their checks in person on the Senate floor during a session.

...

Tuesday's vote was along party lines. The three Republicans on the Committee on Senate Organization voted for it and the two Democrats opposed it.

The measure applies to paychecks, per diem checks, and any expense reimbursements. The absent senators will have to collect their checks from the Senate majority leader.

Why would they get per diem checks when they're not at work?

And how the hell are they being allowed to vote on this?

Update: The "courtesy" of letting fugitive lawbreakers vote by phone is being rescinded. At least they denied a Democrat the license to vote in committee.

The committee made significant changes to the bill in a meeting that included a bizarre element. Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) participated in the meeting by phone, but Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), the committee chairwoman, refused to let him vote because he and the 13 other Senate Democrats left the state Thursday.

Senators routinely participate in committee meetings by phone and are allowed to debate, offer amendments and vote on measures. But Lazich said she wasn't allowing Erpenbach to vote because he had an invalid reasons for being absent.

"I won't extend courtesies for unethical behavior," Lazich told Erpenbach.

"Do you want the headline to be, 'Republicans won't let Democrats vote,' even though we've allowed that many, many times?" Erpenbach said.

Erpenbach's name was not called as the clerk took the roll, but he repeatedly yelled, "No!" over the speakerphone. The committee's three Republicans voted for the bill.

The bill could go before the Senate on Thursday, though leaders have not yet decided when they would vote on it.

Heh: The Flee Party.

posted by Ace at 07:20 PM

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