Nearly every lawmaker in Harrisburg preaches fiscal responsibility. But almost none of them seem to mind when their own pay swells state spending. 

With Pennsylvania lawmakers due for their largest inflation-linked raise ever, one that's set to push their base pay to over $100,000, Spotlight PA examined how often lawmakers here say no to the automatic hikes.

Since 2008 — the most recent year for which records are available — 176 lawmakers have paid back almost $578,000, according to the State Treasurer's office. For scale, the legislature received more than $9.5 million in total pay raises during that time, The Caucus (paywalled) found.

Just six lawmakers, five Republicans and one Democrat, have given back at least a portion of their annual pay raises in the past four years.

Patty Kim (D., Dauphin) gave back all the money she's received in pay increases since joining the legislature in 2012, adding, "I can't in good faith accept [cost-of-living adjustments] when I'm fighting for a minimum wage."

Read Spotlight PA's full report on the issue: Pa. lawmakers are set to get huge raises. They can return them, but almost nobody does.

THE CONTEXT: The Caucus reached out to every member of Pennsylvania's General Assembly, already among the highest paid in the U.S., to ask if they would support suspending or eliminating the raise this year. (It was last paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Twenty of the 252 legislators currently in office wanted to talk. Most didn't respond. One, state Rep. Louis Schmitt (R., Blair), answered a reporter's query with two sentences: "I received your email. Now piss off."

The annual raises are tied to inflation under a 27-year-old state law that legal experts believe violates the intent of Pennsylvania's Constitution, but which they also acknowledge is unlikely to be overruled. 

The inflation-related pay hike for lawmakers comes as wages for working Pennsylvanians fall behind inflation by a growing margin.

The state's Independent Fiscal Office found "real average hourly earnings" here — a measure of workers' pay adjusted for inflation — declined by 3.9% in June, the largest contraction all year, via the Morning Call.

DREAM TEAM: If you missed this month's virtual Q&A with Spotlight PA’s new State College bureau, no worries: We've got the video here. The team of four reporters is focused on government accountability in rural counties, and Penn State, one of the state's largest and most influential institutions.

BUG BLITZ: Spotted lanternfly killing was once all the rage in Pennsylvania, but is that zeal beginning to fade? To find out, we talked to the creator of an app, probably the best means of tracking such a thing, and a retiree from Plymouth Meeting with 13,000-plus confirmed lanternfly kills.

FRENCH CLASS: The word of the week is crudité (aka veggie trays). It's also the political gaffe of the week, thanks to Pennsylvania's ongoing U.S. Senate race. Billy Penn tells you where to find excellent crudité in Philadelphia, while Bon Appétit offers a million ways to make your own.

HOME HUNTS: The City and ProPublica have a useful guide to vetting your next apartment like a reporter on assignment. While much of it is New York City-centric, some of the tips apply more broadly. For example: Arrive early for a showing and chat up existing tenants for the most reliable intel.

NO NABE: A neighborhood in Ashley, Luzerne County, is slated to be eliminated under a proposed plan to widen I-81, The Citizens' Voice (paywalled) reports. People have lived there for generations.