Tuesday October 5th
5:00 P.M.- 7:00 P.M.
Home of Jane and Tom Ricketts
3506 Windgarden Cove
Germantown, TN 38125

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NASHVILLE — State Sen. Ophelia Ford’s opposition to curtailing airfare for lawmakers made for a curious speech on the Senate floor, in which she decried not only the bill but also suggested legislators should raise their compensation when the economy improves.

The Senate reviewed a bill by Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, Monday night to limit the taxpayers’ tab for lawmakers’ airfare to the mileage reimbursement they would get driving. Kelsey said it’s the least the legislature can do, two weeks after the state sent layoff notices to 853 state employees.

“I don’t know how this bill could have come about,” Ford told fellow senators. “But it is absolutely insulting to me and it would also in the future make it very difficult for certain people to seek a public office like this — in particular blacks, women and underprivileged people.”

Sen. Beverly Marrero, D-Memphis, offered an amendment, which passed, allowing the speakers of the House and Senate discretion to pay full coach fare for lawmakers with physical disabilities or medical conditions that make it difficult or impossible to drive.

The Senate approved the bill 29-2, with Ford and Sen. Reginald Tate, D-Memphis, voting against it. It must win House approval to become law. A committee there deferred the bill Tuesday for a week.

Ford, who’s suffered with undisclosed medical problems since soon after her arrival in the legislature four years ago, spoke in opposition in the Senate.

After noting that she was unable to spend Easter with her family because her medical condition prevented her from driving home, she spoke of the need to increase legislative compensation. Legislators make $19,009 plus $185 per day for lodging and food reimbursements. They also receive a $1,000 monthly home-office allowance and lifetime subsidized health insurance.

“I was pretty well off though before I became a senator,” Ford said. “I never had an Escalade note. I never had to buy gas. I never had to pay to get my truck washed or car insurance. And I had a big fat check every Friday.

“And what we make now is not comparable to what we do. This is no part-time job. If we ought to be doing anything … we ought to stand up and be men and women enough to increase our salaries and per diem to cover the things that we should have covered, instead of losing money because we decided to be a public servant.”

She also addressed Kelsey and suggested he might live to regret it.

“Coming from Memphis is no jump, skip and a hop. For three or four days and then traveling back. And I know you do it, Mr. Sponsor. But you’re not the only one to consider. … I urge you to look at what might happen to you in the future. Because things can change overnight sometimes. Even our Lord said, ‘Look, tomorrow is always a new day. We never know what that new day might bring.”

NASHVILLE — A Democratic senator opposed to legislation that would limit lawmakers’ reimbursement for air travel inside Tennessee said that the measure passed Monday by the Senate is unfair and “insulting.”

Sen. Ophelia Ford of Memphis expressed outrage at the proposal that was approved 29-2 by the Senate.

The other dissenting vote was cast by Sen. Reginald Tate, D-Memphis.

The measure would limit legislators’ air travel reimbursement to the amount they would have received if they had driven.

Ford, who expressed her frustration to the Senate for about 10 minutes, said the legislation is unfair because “per diems don’t cover our expenses already.”

Lawmakers currently get $185 per day.

“This bill … is absolutely insulting to me,” she said. “I don’t know how this bill could have come about.”

Ford said the measure is unfair to individuals who may be unable to drive because of a medical condition or illness. Ford has missed numerous legislative days since she’s been in office because of an illness.

“I wasn’t going to make a poor decision to get behind the wheel … to put my life and other people’s lives in danger,” she said, adding that she and other lawmakers are also struggling financially.

“Since I’ve been a senator, I’ve been affected financially,” she said. “And I know I’m not the only one. Everybody in here is not wealthy.”

Ford was pacified some by an amendment that would allow the Senate speaker to decide if a lawmaker who can’t drive because of a medical condition should be fully reimbursed for their flight.

Sen. Brian Kelsey, a Germantown Republican and the bill’s sponsor, said lawmakers need to be fiscally responsible considering the major cutbacks in the state budget.

“It’s important for us in the General Assembly to show that we’re going to be leaders in the area of cutting spending,” he said.

“Just two weeks ago, we laid off 853 state employees. I think in tough economic times like this we have to set the standard that cutting spending is important and it’s something we’re willing to do,” he said.

The companion bill is awaiting a vote in the House State and Local Government Committee.