A Democratic lawmaker says the state could have saved more than $800,000 if the legislature had wrapped up its work this week. Senator Rob Hogg, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, is criticizing Republicans who control the legislature’s agenda.
“We should be done today to save taxpayers money and every day beyond it…there’s another $38,000 out the window,” Hogg said during a speech on the Senate floor. “I mean, you say you want to save taxpayers money and there’s a basic way you could have done it and you just totally failed at it.”
Earlier this year, Senators did vote to cut 15 days worth of daily expense money from the legislature’s budget, but House Republicans did not ratify the change.
“Way to go ‘watchdogs of the taxpayer.’ While we’re having our social club down here, having fun passing bills,” Hogg said, pausing, leaning into the microphone to stage whisper: “Tick. Tick. Tick,” before concluding: “The meter’s running.”
None of the Republican senators responded to Hogg’s remarks.
Most legislators get nearly $170 in daily expense money. Legislators who live in the Des Moines area receive $42 less than their colleagues, because they live close to the capitol. April 17 is the last day legislators may get that daily expense money. A top House Republican says legislators are likely to be wrapping up their work during that week.