Pennsylvania legislators opt for an early raise

Who restrains the watchdogs when they want to look the other way on the state constitution? Here's the pay grab going on in the Pennsylvania state legislature:

Almost two-thirds of the General Assembly has accepted a pay raise through a maneuver that allowed lawmakers to begin collecting additional money yesterday, 16 months before the state constitution would normally permit.

In all, 158 state lawmakers, including 57 from the Philadelphia area, opted to take the raise through "unvouchered expenses," according to House and Senate payroll records.

Philadephia Inquirer