Chopp says he’s not holding up the process

Published 5:40 pm Friday, May 13, 2011

House Speaker Frank Chopp is taking a lot of hits this week.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers in both chambers have been saying his opposition to the compromise-and-release option for injured workers will force the Legislature into a second special session. Maybe a third.

Chopp disagrees and is starting to fight back.

“I’m not holding up the process. That’s just not true,” he said Thursday. “We don’t think it’s fair to injured workers because it implies that you would settle for pennies on the dollar on the pension you receive because of your injury.”

He said he’s focused on adopting an operating budget and does not consider reform of the workers compensation system to be “central or necessary to implement the budget.”

Still, he said, changes are getting madeand the question is how much is enough.

Several bills have been passed and signed into law which will save money for the employers and employees who pay into it, he said. There are other ideas to cut costs like freezing cost-of-living adjustments on benefits for two years which he thinks should be passed.

But the inclusion of compromise-and-release does not sound like a negotiable issue with Chopp. Not now, not ever.

“Most normal people would see six out of seven ideas that we can come to agreement on and say that’s pretty good. Let’s get the rest of the operating budget done. Let’s go home,” he said. “Who’s being unreasonable here?”

Senate leaders have said they won’t vote on any budget agreement unless this element of workers comp reform is given a vote in the House.

When told some lawmakers are prepared to wait him out on this issue – even if it means delaying a budget and holding additional special sessions – Chopp said:

“That’s sad. Are you putting that in the paper? Doesn’t that make them look a little odd?”