After the Legislature decided to cut state-worker pay last year, Florida senators did the opposite, passing out $183,000 in annual pay raises and promotions to some staffers.

In all, 61 Senate employees who now earn $45,000 or more received pay increases. A few earned raises in May just as the Legislature prepared to vote on a 2 percent pay cut for all state workers earning more than $45,000 yearly.

Gov. Charlie Crist then vetoed the pay-cut language. Soon after, the Senate started increasing more salaries.

``Had those vetoes not gone in place we would have held the Legislature to the same standard as everybody else. So I don't know how that's a contradiction,'' Senate President Jeff Atwater said.

The Senate on Monday plans to propose another state-worker pay cut for next budget year. The House -- which raised some staff pay but cut other salaries -- unveiled its proposed budget Friday that called for a 3 percent salary reduction for all state workers.

More here.

--Marc Caputo