The Arizona state legislator who lives in Maricopa County will earn a pay increase under suggested discussion before the House committee later today. The proposal would increase the dates for each of those lawmakers reaching around $200 a day. Currently, that number is $35 per day.

Howie Fischer from Capitol Media Services took part in the show and talked about what to expect at the state capitol this week.

Complete conversation

Mark Brody: So I want to start where we are in the legislative meeting. Because many committee work is common. We’re at the point where the bills come for discussion, vote in each room and exchange a kind of travel, right?

Howard Fisher: Yes, this is where rubber meets the road in some respects. So I’m not saying that getting a bill through the committee is easy. But often you’re out at the Capitol and you’ve seen this as well as what they say, well, it’s not perfect. I don’t like it, but I’ll tell you what I say, we’ll proceed to the floor and see if you can fix it or convince me that I’m wrong.

Well, we’re at that stage where there’s so many things that people have come up with ideas about how to fix elections, how to change the revision system, how to regulate food stamp purchases. And now you have to think that what it takes to win 16 votes in the Senate and 31 votes in the House, and that you can get the Governor’s signature, assuming you can survive it.

Brody: That’s right. Now, let’s talk about this proposal from Howie, Rep. David Livingston, chairman of the House Approximately Expenditure Committee.

Fisher: Well, this is an attractive issue. Because if you look closely at it, it’s a by-definition allowance for each Diem. For example, lawmakers outside of Maricopa County say that if they get numbers on par with the general accounting firm, federal general accounting firms should get people while they travel.

If you’re coming in from Flagstaff, coming from Tucson, if you’re not driving every day, if you need a hotel here, or some alternative location to live. You will need to buy, buy and rent a condo. County lawmakers do not have the same fees. I don’t get any money to drive to the office. I don’t think I’ve gotten a Diem since I came to the office from Kjzz.

Brody: I’m not.

Fisher: So the question is, why do you raise it every day? And what Livingston says is, “Look, Howey, this isn’t really a DIEM per day. It’s really a part of our salary.

Legislative salaries cannot be raised except by voters’ approval. And the last time voters agreed to do it was in 1998 when they brought it to $24,000 a year. In fact, there are scales to be asked [Monday] Inflation dates back to 1998, this costs around $48,000 to ask voters to increase it. Again, it needs to go to the voters.

This is not the case. This is simply because our costs, as you point out, require about $200 per day, so his credit, Livingston, isn’t saying we need it for the cost. He is unfair to county lawmakers as everyone should be paid almost equally and they need to live at $24,000 a year and $35 a day. Also, remember that $35 a day is seven days a week, whether you’re actually here or not. They include Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and everything else.

I think this will become popular with lawmakers from both parties within a particular county.

For example, since Senator Eva Burch’s resignation, I think he feels that pay alone is not enough. She resigned. She continues her job as a nurse and comes here and can’t do this for $24,000 a year. But I’m the question for many people, if you can’t let us vote and do it for ourselves and call it an allowance, is it silly to do it?

Brody: Yeah, that’s really funny. Howey, I would like to ask you about election-related matters that mention you are talking about changes in the electoral system. Someone who was very involved in it at the Capitol was later Scottsdale Rep. Alexander Collodin. [Monday] I intend to announce that he is running for Secretary of State.

Fisher: Yes, they are trying to create a dream ticket, at least from the perspective of the Free Caucus, in terms of the conservatives they think they can do. [Hobbs] And, and Adrian [Fontes] And Chris Mays comes up with a ticket that voters think they want more.

Now, don’t forget that the tickets for the final dream were Kari Lake, Mark Finchem and Abe Hamadeh.

This ticket starts with Andy Biggs, who was running for governor, assuming he survived primary, and, as you point out, there is Alexander Collodin for the Secretary of State, and we have Senate Speaker Warren Petersen, whom he always wanted to be attorney general.

I think there is a belief that people want a more conservative council, a more conservative ticket for the top, and they are based on their success, to some extent, that’s what they are. [Donald] Last time it was playing cards. So, has it been translated? You know, it’s hard to know.

So we had special elections in some states in other districts where they were traditionally red, where they elected Democrats. Clearly, today, Mr. Colodin explains more about what his idea is. We know he supports certain things. For example, he was against Attorney General Chris Mays. She’s when she filed accusations against county officials who refused to prove the election because they wanted to say, “No, you can’t, if you’re not sure you can’t ask them to authenticate the election.”

He also has some other interesting opinions, but at least orders that fire squad to execute the accused prisoners.