Callahan calls Amendment 7 deceptive
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Callahan calls Amendment 7 deceptive

Date: October 30, 2006
By: Rachel Higginbotham
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: Amendment 7 would deny pensions to convicted officials, but some Missouri lawmakers say the real change is in the fine print. Rachel Higginbotham has more from the Capitol.

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If passed, the amendment would cost convicted, impeached and removed state officials their pensions.

But Senator Victor Callahan, from the Kansas City area, says that Amendment 7 is about more than pensions.

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Description: "This amendment is designed to mislead voters and hoodwink voters into believing that it's about denying federal felons pensions. In reality, it is about making it easier for the legislature to give themselves a pay raise."


Under Amendment 7, the state legislature would have to reject any pay raise plan proposed by the state's salary commission by a 2/3 vote rather than a majority vote .  

From Jefferson City, I'm Rachel Higginbotham.

Intro: One of the less publicized provisions on the November ballot is Constitutional Amendment 7, which addresses pay raises for state elected officials. Rachel Higginbotham has more from the Capitol.

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Under Amendment 7, the state legislature would have to reject it's own pay raises by a 2/3 vote, rather than a majority.

Opponents say that this will give elected officials more money with less accountability to the consistuents.

But the amendment's legislative sponsor, Representative Scott Lipke from south-east Missouri, says he doesn't believe the pay raises will get out of hand.

 
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Description: "Now I'm here to tell you that if the commission comes up with recommendations that are way out-of-line, or even remotely approaching that, there's not going to be a problem coming up with 2/3 to reject it."

The commission Lipke mentioned is the appointed body that recommends pay raises every two years.

From Jefferson City, I'm Rachel Higginbotham.