Demise of Legislative Pay Raise, Theory #132

Though it did not emerge from the Senate until the 11th hour, some folks remain surprised that the much-discussed pay raise proposal for legislators did not survive the 60-day session.

The bill seemed to teeter between the House's active "calendar" of legislation up for consideration, and an inactive calendar that serves as a sort of parking lot (or grave, perhaps). It ended up in the latter.

The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler names an unexpected culprit behind the bill's demise in his column today.

Its defender to the bitter end, Senate Finance Chairman Walt Helmick, D-Pocahontas, lamented its failure to fellow senators during Sunday's brief special session.