Dayton Signs Bill Retracting Commissioner Raises For Now
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill passed by lawmakers on Thursday to cut the paychecks of more than two dozen state commissioners.
That's after Dayton passed out pay hikes to all 26 members of his cabinet, causing intense political controversy. Some of the raises were as high as $35,000.
And even attempts to end the controversy ended up causing more.
Lawmakers voted to suspend the pay hikes and -- especially for Democrats -- to try to end the controversy. The Democratic-led Senate approved the bill by a 35-29 vote after heavy Republican criticism for a special provision that gives Dayton a single day to put new raises in place. The Republican-controlled House followed with a 108-20 vote after barely 10 minutes of consideration.
But Senate Republicans don't plan on letting the controversy fade.
"Over? You must be joking!" Sen. Dave Osmek, R-Mound, said. "I start to think of that scene in 'Animal House' where John Belushi is saying, 'Over?! You think it's over? it's not over!'"
In a peculiar political twist, the bill cuts the pay hikes until July 1. And beginning July 2, the governor loses his power to raise anyone's pay.
Republicans predict Dayton will "save the date," and pass out pay hikes again.
"What you give to the governor in one day is all the governor needs. All he needs is one day," Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, said.
Dayton was mum about his plans, saying only: "Ask me on June 30th." He also kept up his defense of raises, which he said help catch the positions up to top-level local government salaries and comparable positions in the private sector.
"I realize they are not popular but they are necessary to keep good people in government, to be able to recruit good people in government," Dayton said.
The pay hike kerfuffle brought into sharp focus salary levels at all levels of government, including local officials paid six-figure salaries to manage small cities.
In Mound, population 9,052, Democrats say the city manager is paid $115,000.
"A salary comparable to the commissioner of management and budget for the state of Minnesota with a $77 billion budget within his jurisdiction is gouging the taxpayers?" Sen. Richard Cohen, DFL-St. Paul, said.
The pay hike bill took up all the air in the room, but the bill itself includes much more: Funding for Ebola preparations, emergency funding for the Minnesota Zoo and safety improvements at St. Peter Security Hospital.
Senate Republicans hammered the deal negotiated largely between Dayton's administration and House GOP leaders, exposing a rare public break between Capitol Republicans. Until now, it was Dayton and the Senate's Democratic leader, Tom Bakk, who were at odds.
"I believe the commissioners do a good job," said Sen. Dave Osmek, R-Mound. "That doesn't mean we need to gouge the taxpayers of Minnesota."
Sen. Sean Nienow, R-Cambridge, said the next set of raises could be even bigger than the initial ones because Dayton didn't go as far as he could have in January. "We are actually incentivizing the governor to max it all out," Nienow said.
House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, a Minneapolis Democrat, mocked majority Republicans who repeatedly ripped Dayton, adding that the one-day window effectively ratifies Dayton's decision to raise commissioner pay.
Dayton used prior authority to give big salary bumps to commissioners, some topping $30,000 per year. The pay issue is attached to a measure that provides emergency funding to a few cash-strapped agencies.
The $15 million measure would allow the St. Peter security hospital adjust to critical staff hires required to maintain its operating license, close an expected shortfall at the Minnesota Zoo and give the Department of Natural Resources funding to keep conservation officers at their posts. Another slice would reimburse the Department of Health for preparations it made to deal with possible Ebola cases and partially offset the planning costs accrued by some hospitals.
The commissioner salary freeze takes hold the day after Dayton signs the bill. It also means that some deputy and assistant commissioners will earn more than their bosses because their pay isn't affected by the bill.
According to data from the Department of Minnesota Management and Budget, at least 39 deputies and assistants who got general and merit-pay increases in December will have bigger paychecks in coming months than commissioners to which they report. The highest-paid deputy commissioner makes $143,550 salary at MN.IT, the state's in-house technology agency. But 19 others earn more than $130,000.
