Let's Start Docking the Pay of Our Legislators

In today’s world, if you don’t show up for your job, for reasons other than illness or a personal emergency, your pay is docked.  And, if you fail to do your job, you’re fired. However, apparently that reality scenario seems non-existent for our esteemed state legislators.

Last week, a bill that could have had a major impact on finally moving Louisiana out of the bottom two positions on most national educational performance polls, ground to a halt in the Louisiana Senate.  The bill, which already had received the stamp of approval from House representatives, would have held back third graders who could not pass a reading assessment after three tries.  Such students would undergo extensive remedial work during the school day, including at least 90 minutes per day instruction emphasizing phonics, fluency, comprehension and other reading strategies.

This was obviously an extremely important bill for the Louisiana senate to consider, but it failed by just 2 votes to advance further.  However, what was even more upsetting than its failure to pass was the fact that 6 senators didn’t even vote on the bill. These included senators, Cathey, Cloud, Fields, Foil, Harris and Tarver. 

I don’t know who was actually physically present or absent in the senate building when the voting occurred, but the bottom line was they all failed to do their job.  They were not doing what Louisiana voters hired them to do; vote.

This behavior happens all too frequently in both legislative branches in the hallowed halls of Baton Rouge, and it needs to stop.  

Obviously, we can’t fire them for this delinquent behavioral, but I suggest we do implement a procedure that might alter their behavior.  Therefore, I challenge our legislators to implement the same procedure that applies to the everyday working residents in our state, docking their pay.  I think a good starting figure should be $100.00 per each non-voting incident.  If you’re physically absent from the legislative building due to illness and produce a doctor’s excuse, or absent due to a documented emergency, I’ll let you slide.

Our legislators are paid to basically do two things, propose legislation, and vote on it.  And yes, it takes a spine to go on record for all to see regarding one’s stance on proposed legislation. Obviously some seem to be missing this vital part of their body, and choose instead to ‘not show up for work.’ 

We need to stop treating our legislators as prima-donnas, and hold them accountable to the same standards that exist in the real world for not doing one’s job, dock their pay.