Withholds the salary of the governor and members of the legislature if the budget is late until final ratification of the budget

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Griffo and 1 co-sponsor

Withholds governor and legislative salaries if the state budget is late, continuing until it is finally ratified, to pressure timely budget enactment.

REFERRED TO FINANCE

Summary of Bill S 6663

Overview

S 6663 is a bill introduced on March 19, 2025, and currently referred to the Finance Committee. The core purpose is to financially sanction the governor and members of the legislature by withholding their salaries if the state budget is late, with the withholdings continuing until the budget is finally ratified. The bill lists Joseph A. Griffo as the primary sponsor and Mario Mattera as a cosponsor. It references a related measure from a prior session, S 7290.

What the bill would do

Withholding trigger: If the state budget is late, the salaries of the governor and all members of the legislature would be withheld.

Duration: Withholding would continue until the budget is finally ratified.

Scope: Applies to the salaries of the governor and legislators (the bill’s title indicates this scope; the exact payroll framework and administrative details would be defined in the bill’s text).

Mechanism: The bill would establish the method by which withholdings are implemented and collected (the specific procedural steps would be specified in the bill’s language).

Who would be affected

Elected officials named in the bill: the governor and members of the legislature.

State payroll and fiscal offices would administer any withholding and ensure amounts are withheld and released per the bill’s provisions.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced: March 19, 2025.

Status: Referred to the Finance Committee, indicating the bill is at the stage of committee review and potential amendments before proceeding to floor consideration.

Legislative actions listed: the same referral date appears twice, underscoring committee referral.

Related legislation: S 7290 from a prior session is noted as related, suggesting there may be similar or predecessor concepts under consideration or previously debated.

Potential impacts and considerations

Fiscal accountability: The bill aims to create a direct financial incentive to avoid delays in budget enactment.

Administrative and legal questions: How exactly withholding would be calculated, enforced, and reconciled with existing payroll and constitutional requirements would require careful drafting. Potential constitutional or statutory challenges to such withholdings could arise depending on jurisdictional law.

Political and budgeting implications: Could influence budgeting timelines and negotiations between the executive and legislative branches; may affect legislators’ and the governor’s compensation during budget crises.

Reassessment of timing: If a budget is late due to complex negotiations or emergencies, the bill’s timing mechanics would guide when withholdings begin and cease.

Bill