Shekarchi and Ruggerio Give $765,000 in Vaccine “Bonuses” to Staff - Move Called Illegal
GoLocalProv News Team
Shekarchi and Ruggerio Give $765,000 in Vaccine “Bonuses” to Staff - Move Called Illegal
The legislature employs 255 personnel.
According to House Minority Leader Blake Filippi, the move was illegal as the Joint Committee on Legislative Services — the legislative committee that has authority over the legislature’s actions — would need to approve the award of the bonuses.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Speaker Shekarchi and President Ruggiero are only 2 of the 5-member JCLS. As such, they lack the legal authority to issue these bonuses on struggling taxpayers’ backs,” said Filippi Friday night.
The five members by rule are:
The Speaker of the House Joe Shekarchi - Chair
Senate President Dominick Ruggerio - Vice Chair
House Majority Leader Christopher Blazejewski
Senate Minority Dennis Algiere
House Minority Leader Blake Filippi
Shekarchi has the authority to call a meeting of the JCLS at any time but has repeatedly refused. The Committee has not met in over a decade. Filippi has a pending lawsuit trying to force legislative leaders to hold JCLS meetings.
“Speaker Shekarchi and President Ruggerio made the decision to remain consistent with the past practice of following the outcome of the Administration’s negotiations with Council 94 regarding pay schedules and benefits. The 255 employees, who are all at-will employees, received the first half of the bonus on February 18 and will receive the remainder in July,” said Larry Berman, spokesperson for Shekarchi. Governor Dan McKee at the beginning of his term had awarded state union workers the bonuses as an incentive and later said he regretted the decision.
Berman refused to answer questions regarding how Shekarchi and Ruggerio could make the decision to give the hundreds of thousands in bonuses without a meeting of the JCLS.
According to House rules, “All committee meetings shall be open to the public, but public participation shall be limited to testimony on the matters before the committee.”