House GOP Challenges Senate Democrats

House Republicans are calling on Senate Democrats to limit their salaries and expenses to the ones that GOP delegates recently agreed to in a meeting last month.

In a letter to Senate leaders, House Republican Caucus Chairman Samuel A. Nixon Jr. (R-Chesterfield) wrote that the Senate could save taxpayers more than $100,000 if it enacted the same changes for the legislative session beginning Wednesday.

Nixon asks senators to agree to a two percent reduction to bring their salaries to $17,640 and a daily session per diem rate of $135. The Senate's per diem rate is $169.

"These changes can be enacted quickly. Doing so would send an important signal to the citizens of the Commonwealth,'' Nixon wrote. "It would demonstrate that legislators in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly not only are willing to come together but also are prepared to lead by example during this time of serious economic difficulty."

Last month, House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) announced reforms and cost-cutting measures for the upcoming year that included cutting $1.1 million in operational expenses to help the state address a multibillion-dollar shortfall.