The PA State Constitution prohibits lawmakers from raising their own salaries during their term of office. On July 7, 2005, at 2 a.m., lawmakers voted to raise their compensation from 16—54% through unvouchered expense accounts. This was a blatant attempt to circumvent the Constitution. My opponent voted himself a 22% raise. When voters rebelled and lawmakers were shamed into repealing the raises, he elected to repay, through payroll deduction a little at a time, the money he had already taken-——an interest free loan from the taxpayers! Swanger never raised her own salary while in office as County Commissioner.