Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Good morning, this is the House Appropriations Committee. It is Tuesday, 03/24/2026. We just have, it's about 11:40 a. M. We have another bill. I forgot we might have this bill. So this is the Pay Act, It's H950. It was voted out of House government operations at the end of last week, and it will likely be incorporated before the budget, assuming we pass it. So we have Grin for the legislative council to talk us through it. And then we have Andy from the joint fiscal office to tell us about the money. And we have Chair Bayron here in case we have any other questions that we need to have answered. So thank you all for coming.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Good morning, committee. Brynn Hare, Director and Chief Counsel of Legislative Counsel, here to talk to you about H950. Thank you for that setting of the table. That was very helpful. So I'm going to jump right in and talk to you about this bill. I will set the stage just a little bit to remind all of you that this is the semiannual legislative act that sets forth and appropriates funding for the increases for state employees covering union negotiated collective bargaining agreements. So it authorizes funds for executive, judicial, and legislative branch employees to ensure that their negotiated salary increases are funded fiscal years. So it's quite typical that this is a this bill covers two fiscal years of salary increases.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: So it's not semiannual. It's biannual. Biannual. Sorry. Yes. Yes. And it's that

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: that is typically true, not

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: always. Correct. Yes.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Okay. So, it's typically distinct. It's its own bill separate from the state budget bill but also it's necessary to implement the cost of the labor contract. So, there are years that it has been absorbed into the budget bill as well. So I'll jump in with section one. This is the section that sets out the collective bargaining agreements for fiscal years '27 and '28. So it fully funds FY 2728 of the collective bargaining agreements between the state and the VSEA and the state and the Vermont Troopers Association. So the total numbers for the two fiscal years are subsection a sets it out for FY '27, and it sets out a 1.9% average step increase, which is typical. That has been historically the step increase over recent years. And a 2% overall increase that happens in July, plus an additional 2% that happens in January, for a total of a 5.9% increase for fiscal year twenty seven. So it's a 5.9% that is split into two parts. So part of it comes in July and the other part of it comes in January. Subsection B sets it out for fiscal year twenty eight. Again, a 1.9% average step increase and a 3% overall increase for a total 4.9% increase for the fiscal year of twenty eight. So that is sort of your guidepost there, section one, because the next several sections rely on it. So section two, I'm on page two now. This sets out the exempt employees' permitted salary increases. So this section provides that executive judicial and legislative branches may extend the provisions of the FY '27 and '28 collective bargaining agreements to exempt employees, which are those employees that are not covered by the CBAs, as appropriate and in accordance with their budgets. So it is not a directive. It is a here's what you may do, and then the branches may move forward as they see fit. I'll move on to section three now on the

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: top of page

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: three. This section covers executive branch exempt employees. It provides that if the governor gives salary adjustments, special salary increases and bonuses to executive branch agency and department heads, deputies, and executive assistants, those adjustments shall be in line with those set forth in section one in the collective bargaining agreement. So for fiscal year twenty seven, it would be 5.9% increase. Fiscal year '28, 4.9% increase. Or

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: you get too far, so 5.9%. This is I'm taking it from the name. It's the Pay Act. So this is about salaries, does it and then benefits are going to be an annual fluctuation?

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: That's right. And in case I didn't make it clear, it's just this the it just appropriates funding for the salary increases, not for the base salaries. And typically, my understanding is the benefits are accompanied with the base salary.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: And the step increases happen?

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: On an annual basis, typically.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: Right. And that's based on just what position you are, whatever the number Exactly. Level you've been assigned, and then then I guess

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: That's right. In the classified system. Yes. They're called sort of they're called steps in the classified system that sort of provides a road map to what your salary will look like over time.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: But in in the past I'm just trying to sometimes the benefits the cost of benefits go up more than the cost of the pay, then that's gonna that just happens. And that's there's rarely any correction that helps match the increase in what people's

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: My understanding is that that is separate and it's within the governor's recommended budget as opposed to the pay act.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: Okay. So the governor can if the if we felt so flush that we could make adjustments to this if if if the benefits to the each this the individual employees went up 10%, I know it doesn't match necessarily 5.9% of their salary, but it can governor adjust the pay act so that it matches the increase in the benefits or is that just part of the parcel of the way that we work? Get five points, if they get the 5.9% and then whatever happens on the benefits side, the increased cost is just what happens.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: That is my understanding that the any increase in benefits is happens totally separately from the pay act and it is put forward in the governor's recommended budget that includes salaries and

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: I just wanna get clear on the different silos here. So thank you.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: So this is saying that this group is getting an almost 6% salary increase? That is correct for fiscal year twenty seven. Is this negotiated? And

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: finally next It is. Yes.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: Is it fiscal year twenty seven and then in '28 they just get the

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: 4.9. Over two years they're getting 11 pay increase.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: Right, but the 5.9 is the first year of the agreement and the lower number for the second. Okay.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: And maybe you're not the one to ask how they decide and do they look at inflation or any of the market or other people are getting paid because most of us would be really happy to get that kind of an increase, but they aren't.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: But our salary gets that's a similar increase.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Then we go from $0.11 to $0.12 But just but the point is that I just this is not about you. Know I know I but there are people out working in companies and small businesses who would love to get this kind of an increase. It just surprised me how high it was. I guess that's right.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yes. So these numbers are in the contracts that are the results of the collective bargaining Right. Yes,

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: I understand that. Did you have Well, I was just gonna clarify. I suspect this is part of negotiations with

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: the labor contract. That is where it comes from, yes. And who does the negotiating?

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: And the labor unions negotiate, and then who negotiates on the

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: other side? So my understanding is that it's DHR. But we have Amy here who might be able to answer that even better than I can.

[Amy Pope (Joint Fiscal Office)]: So Amy Pope, we're the Joint Fiscal Office, and there's a labor relations, you know, else, part of the Department of Human Resources that sort of manage and head up that on behalf of the administration. Okay.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: All right. I'm just absorbing that. That's all.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: All right. Continue. Thank you, Britta. Yeah. So that may be the most significant part. And then the rest of it is just setting forth all of the other salaries within the state government that are impacted by the PAY Act. So section three, as I mentioned, is the exempt agency and department heads, deputies, executive assistants. So it provides that the governor may adjust those salaries as well in accordance with Section one, so 5.9% in FY 'twenty seven, 4.9% in FY 'twenty eight. Can you explain I'm looking at that page four.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: How does the salaries go up? They start in July, and then they go up again in January, and then again in July. I asked the semi annual, why does that happen?

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yes, so now we're in section four. These are the set out the salaries for the executive branch. And so this is the first place where you're going to see all of the structure salaries that are existing law and then three columns of new salaries. So the first column on your left is the 3.9% increase, which is the result of the 1.9% step increase plus 2% on top of that. So so employees will get that increase on July 2026. And what was negotiated during the process of creating the contracts was that an additional 2% increase would come six months later on 01/10/2027. So for a total increase for fiscal year of '27 of 5.9%, but it's split. So we're only paying half the you know? So we're paying 3.9% for half the year and then the total 5.9% for the rest of the year. Does that make sense?

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: So they're splitting up, they're not getting the full 5.9% on day one. Exactly. They're doing part of it at the beginning and part of it has to through. Exactly. Which is new because the previous year, it was just annual.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yes. And it has been done in the past, but it wasn't done in the last round. Okay. So the third column, the one on your far right is the FY '28 adjustment. So that's the 4.9% that applies for fiscal year '28, and that one applies for the full fiscal year.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: I just want to clarify this. Yeah. Okay.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: So that's what's happening in section four. These are the executive branch statutory salaries, increases the elected state officer salaries. The next section, which you'll find starting on page actually, it's the same section within the same section. But the next set of salaries that are adjusted are the department and agency head salaries. So exact same thing is happening here. It's on page nine. Yeah. We're crossing through crossing out all of the old ones. And starting on page nine, there are the new ones for executive branch statutory salaries. The same thing, what's authorized on July 12, it's about 3.9, an additional 2% in January, and then the full 4.9 for the following fiscal year is the third column. So I'm gonna not go through every one of these. Just skip ahead so that I-

[Rep. Wayne Laroche (Member)]: I'm just curious. I mean, there's some real distinction among these different secretary or department level commissioners. I'm just wondering, is that something that is, I mean, a lot of them are the exact same amounts, right? But how does that decide? Are the amounts for, say,

[Amy Pope (Joint Fiscal Office)]: the Secretary of

[Rep. Wayne Laroche (Member)]: Administration, Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife, you know, each of those, there are different rates. And is it the same rate, every secretary?

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Do you know? I do

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: not believe they're all at the same rate. I do think that this was when the statutory salaries were originally set. I'm actually not sure what year that was. I can certainly look into it.

[Rep. Wayne Laroche (Member)]: I'm just curious. And you have enough to do.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I mean, it's an interesting question. I'm happy

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: to look into it.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: It might be that DHR is a good resource resource for for this this question. Question, Better than me, but I'm also happy

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: to look into it.

[Rep. Wayne Laroche (Member)]: 57 to 133, that's really the range and it's

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: $20,000 difference between them.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I think Amy is going be able to answer this.

[Rep. Wayne Laroche (Member)]: Amy, do

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: you want to come to the table so you don't? Thank

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: you, Amy.

[Amy Pope (Joint Fiscal Office)]: So, Andy Pope Joint Fiscal Office. So, I worked for the Department of Human Resources, so that's why I have some inside knowledge. But for these, the way we would look at these departments was small versus large departments. And so that's a direct relationship to the salary. So it had to do with maybe the size of the number of employees, the budget that it controlled, those types of things.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: So pages of salaries. Yep. Okay.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: So I'm gonna move on to page 13. Now we're in section five. And actually, the next two sections, sections, the next three sections, five, six, and seven, cover the judicial branch. So these increase the salaries of judicial branch officers in section five, assistant judges in section six, and probate judges in section seven. So you'll see they're set forth a little bit differently. The chief justices and associate justices are set forth in section five. Assistant judges, we don't have the same columns there because the numbers apply to all of the assistant judges. And then in section seven, the probate judges. And you will see that there is some difference across the counties for the probate judges. And my understanding is that that reflects the different workloads in those counties so that some of those probate judges are part time and some are full time. Okay. So I'll move on to section eight now. So we're into the statutory salaries for the sheriffs. So increase in statutory salaries of the county sheriffs in statute by the same figures, 3.9% in July '26, an additional 2% in January '27, and then the 4.9% for FY '28. So all the whole bill essentially tracks section one. Same thing for section nine with the state's attorneys, increases the statutory salaries for the state's attorneys and statute in the same manner. And you'll also notice in this section no. These are these are pretty consistent. So the last section is Section 10, and this is the one that outlines the appropriations for the increases for all three branches of government. So Section A provides the executive branch appropriates $23,918,020 from the general fund in FY '27, and the transportation fund of $50,000,000 in FY '27, and then other funds is $27,184,607 for fiscal year 'twenty seven to fund these increases for the executive branch. And it also has language authorizing transfers as necessary to administer the Pay Act.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: So that last $27,000,000 I know we have people who are tied to federal grants and things like that. So federal funds make sense to us. That's right. Special fund and other sources. Do you want to talk about that, Amy?

[Amy Pope (Joint Fiscal Office)]: So I believe that the administration takes the total amount of money needed for the executive branch specifically, because this is for the judiciary and executive branch, and just applies a percentage of the whole entire personal services and salaries. So it's all of the special funds that are assigned to salaries.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Okay. And is the general assembly in here, too? It is. But that's very common.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: It's coming. Yeah. So first, we've got to get through both fiscal years of each of the other branches. So so for now I'm on page 23. So if you look at halfway down the page, we're in fiscal year '28 for the executive branch. So the appropriation there is $24,974,632 for f y '28. Transportation fund is another 3,000,000. And then the other funds are is 28,362,343 for FY '28. So those are the executive branch appropriations to administer the pay act. So now I'm on subsection b on page 24. So this is the appropriations for the judicial branch. So the general fund appropriation for the judicial branch employees is $3,800,867 in FY '27. From other sources, we've got a 277 and $316 appropriation in FY '27. And then FY 28, the general fund appropriation is $2,466,396. And then the appropriation from other sources is $179,954 for FY 28. So that is for judicial branch employees, also authorizes the chief justice to extend the provision of the collective bargaining agreement to judicial branch employees who are not covered by the agreement. And then lastly is subsection c, which sets out the appropriations for the legislative branch. So for the legislative branch, the appropriation from the general fund is $914,634 for FY 'twenty seven. And then for FY 'twenty eight, the appropriation from the general fund is $778,939

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: That's so much lower compared to the other two branches. I know we have fewer people, we're only part time, etcetera.

[Rep. Tiffany Bluemle (Ranking Member)]: But

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: it's That's it, the effective pay to Ms. July 1.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Any questions for Warren on this? Dave, go ahead.

[Rep. David Yacovone (Member)]: It's probably here, I just haven't found it yet. Is the legislative pay increase tied to what the constitutional officers get in terms of if they get 3.9, the legislature gets 3.9? Yes. That's in here, the language. Yes,

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: It is. Thank you.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yes. I think it's actually on section two, but I can point to it.

[Rep. David Yacovone (Member)]: But that's my understanding.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Yes. Yes. That was something that we've put into place about four years ago. She was always Longer than now. Yep.

[Rep. Matt Birong (Chair, House Government Operations and Military Affairs)]: You didn't get out the slam.

[Rep. David Yacovone (Member)]: Remember it created quite Yes, a

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: we were avoiding ourselves. We were always in there, so long have I been here? Whatever the constitutional officers are, we would be the same. Before you.

[Rep. Tiffany Bluemle (Ranking Member)]: To be, and we had

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: to vote an increase up

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: to it

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: before Right. It got tied into the

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: And that was a big deal to switch it to just have an automatic so we would fight about it. And I know from a legislative standpoint, we've had NCSL try to look at how we compare with other state legislators and legislatures. It's really difficult to compare because, depending on the provinces, every state is so different in how they do things, the committees work, how many times they meet, even if they're biennium, they maybe be a whole lot one year and not the other year. This isn't a way to compare, and then there's New Hampshire, but then they do a lot of committee meetings for $100 a year, for four thirty five of them.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: No per diem. Yeah.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Could be worse, you could be an Iranian. Anyway, it's always very interesting to see when we've tried to line us up to say, how do we compare? It just isn't. It's worse if it's like apples and aardvarks. I mean, just not even oranges.

[Rep. Wayne Laroche (Member)]: And we need office allowances and all that kind of stuff.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Yeah, love it when I get those emails about, Here's a welcome mat for your office door. We were in the offices.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Staffs could have. We hope that, right?

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Anyway, thank you, Brinna. Annie, do you want to talk to

[Amy Pope (Joint Fiscal Office)]: us about the fiscal note, please? I sure can. I left my computer over there. Don't know if you'd want me to share or just I

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: have copies.

[Brynn Hare (Director and Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: We have copies. Okay. You've got copies. Perfect.

[Amy Pope (Joint Fiscal Office)]: I think the best thing, I think, would be to just go to page two where it it beautifully has all the things you really need to know. And there's two tables, three tables, rather. And then the first table, table one, just breaks out the percentage and the annual rate of adjustment. And then table two and three identify the appropriations. And I think the thing that you would want to know is that on table two, under the general fund, you've been carrying this number in your construct. You didn't appropriate it, but with the understanding that you would be, and it's been moving around as the numbers have been coming in and changing and being analyzed. And so this money is accounted for in your construct right now, just not appropriated.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Right, but we found out the number Friday afternoon. Right,

[Rep. David Yacovone (Member)]: exactly.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: So total for general fund for next year is $28,600,000 for FY27, and for FY28 it's $28,200,000 That's correct. Any questions for Amy on this information? Chair Bairong, is there anything you want to say about this that came from your committee?

[Rep. Matt Birong (Chair, House Government Operations and Military Affairs)]: No, I mean, we You want introduce yourself?

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Please come over for a second. Yes, of course.

[Rep. Matt Birong (Chair, House Government Operations and Military Affairs)]: Let's show informally some informal. Good afternoon, committee, madam chair. For the record, representative Matt Barag, chair of house government operations and military affairs. Yes. We made brisk work of this last week. The package itself was a little delayed getting to us due to an ongoing bargaining unit that is still in some discussions. So we just utilize information from JFO, Department of Human Resources and Council to use these numbers to insert into the existing fields for the percentage structures that were discussed. We had some of the same questions as a committee in and around function and just sort of how the mechanisms work within the three different branches just to give ourselves a better understanding of the mechanics of the bill. But I just see this as an incredibly vital piece of legislation, a money bill, that puts the paychecks in hands of the people who operate our mechanisms of government.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: And I'm just trying to find your committee, if I could get to the right committee. What was the vote out of your committee?

[Rep. Matt Birong (Chair, House Government Operations and Military Affairs)]: It was unanimous. I want to say it was nine zero one.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: How many people are on your committee?

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: I don't know.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Okay, I'm looking it up just on your committee page so we know nine zero one.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: That's right.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Okay. Any other questions for Chair Bodyarm about the Okay. I greatly appreciate the time and consideration of including this in your I think the plan is to include it in the budget unless I hear this but I'm looking at Emily I'm thinking that's what the plan the directive we've been given is to put this in the budget sometimes it goes separately doesn't

[Rep. Wayne Laroche (Member)]: Right. But

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: does it sometimes go separately? Sometimes it's all assembled. Yeah. So I will just absolutely confirm, unless you already have with the speaker, that we want this to go in the budget. I will check with the speaker to confirm, but either way, we still have to vote the bill. So is there a motion to support H-nine 50? John? Second. Wayne? Any other discussion?

[Rep. Tiffany Bluemle (Ranking Member)]: Yes. I just can't help but make the comments that in light of the conversations we've been having with a difficult budget, and with the small increases we have tried to eke out for a lot of organizations that are doing the work at the state, I guess this just reminds me how important our scrutiny is on adding positions because

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: of the impact they clearly have. Yes.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: This is negotiated contract. Don't

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: I know. And I'm just surprised that it came in so high, given the environment that we're in right now. I'm struggling with that when I know what people are making that are in state government. Looks to me

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: like I should not turn down that DEC commissioner Jeff HEDD.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: The twenty eighth is even more lucrative. All right, we've got a motion and a second to approve H950. And if there is no further discussion, can call the roll please.

[Rep. Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Representative Wolin. Yes. Representative Dickinson. Yes. Representative Feltus? Yes. Representative Kascenska? Yes. Representative Ruth? Yes.

[Rep. David Yacovone (Member)]: Okay. It's absentee.

[Rep. Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Representative Nigro? Yes. Representative Squirrell, yes. Representative Stevens?

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: Yes.

[Rep. Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Representative Yacovone? Yes. And representative Scheu? Yes. 1001.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: 1001. And it sounds like HR is the negotiating party, so Tom, I think this falls in your lap.

[Rep. Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: Okay.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Yes, Dave.

[Rep. David Yacovone (Member)]: So legislative pay for those who come, time will go up 5.9%?

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: That's my understanding. I read this, yeah.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: Wait, okay.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: That's my joke about we go from eleven cents to 11 and a half cents an hour. Okay, I was trying to follow that, I wondered.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: We doing the usual appropriations and then stripping it from the budget?

[Rep. Tiffany Bluemle (Ranking Member)]: Yes, so here we are. So I'm going

[Rep. Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: to hold this until we find out

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: what's going in the budget. Yes.

[Rep. Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: That don't make any sense.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Right, so we'll hang on to that, and we voted on it, and I'll check with the speaker. We have been informed that the floor is on recess until 01:00, so this would be a good time to eat your lunch and then we'll go back to the floor at 01:00. And I don't know of any other bills at this point.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: Trevor, you'll be able to flag them

[Rep. Trevor Squirrell (Clerk)]: and send them to me.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: We put it I don't

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: have anything to send. No, something right there.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: Well, if we put it into the budget, then we don't need to do it separately at the floor. So you may or may not be presenting this.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: Yeah, I mean, it's only just saying ten-zero.

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: It's already in the budget. The money is accounted for.

[Rep. Thomas Stevens (Member)]: We reviewed this bill, it's

[Rep. Robin Scheu (Chair, House Appropriations Committee)]: a ten-zero. Yeah. It's not going to be the hardest floor report you've ever done. Floor is at 01:00. Office is today,