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Ogo remains firm vs wage reduction
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Posted on May 14 2006
Despite a directive from the leadership, House Ways and Means Committee chairman Crispin Ogo is determined at shelving the wage reduction bill.
“I am not endorsing it. It will remain in my committee,” said Ogo in a chance interview Friday.
House Speaker Oscar M. Babauta earlier instructed Ogo to make a report on the proposal, House Bill 15-115, and bring it on for floor deliberation.
“It has to be vigorously debated within the committee and be reported to the whole House for floor deliberation. That’s the process that should be taken,” Babauta had said.
Ogo said, though, as chairman of the committee, he will not initiate efforts to pass the bill.
He said that people have strongly opposed the measure based on public hearings.
Further, he said that between the House bill and its counterpart bill in the Senate, people tend to favor the Senate version.
H.B. 15-115, authored by Rep. Absalon Waki seeks to reduce by 10 percent the uniform salary schedules for civil service personnel, as set forth in Title 1 Section 8213 of the Commonwealth Code.
Senate Bill 15-40, authored by Sen. Felix Mendiola, covers the civil service and all other government employees, including the constitutionally protected salaries of the governor, lieutenant governor, Washington Representative, judges and justices.
The Senate bill exempts “essential” employees such as hospital, school, and police and safety personnel.
The wage reduction bill is a key component of the Fitial administration’s cost-saving program.
