Montana Attorney General Opinion 15-8

Opinion No. 8 Employees of Legislatul'e-Compensa· tion of LegislatUl-e-Constitu· tional Law. HELD: Neither house, acting alone. can change the rate of compensation of the Y:llious attaches and employees of the legislative assembly. January 12, 1933. 'Ve have your inquiry for information concerning the rate of pay of employ- ees of the Legislative Assembly. Section 28, Article V of the Consti· tution of the State of ~Iontana pro- vides: "The legislative assembly shall pre- scribe hy law the number, duties and compensation of the officers and em- ployees of each house." The Constitution therefore commands that the compensation shall be fL'i:ed by law. This means that there must be an agreement hy both houses and that the bill shall receive the Goyernor's signature, unless it be passed over his veto. Section 76 R. C. M. 1921 specifically provides the number, designations and rate of compensation of the various at- taches and employees. It would seem. under the constitutional provision above c'ited, that neither house, acting alone. can change the rate.