Senate lawmakers will pay interns for snow days

The Georgia Senate announced Wednesday they would pay the chamber’s interns and legislative aides for last week’s snow days.

The issue had simmered for the last few days, as several of the state’s 236 lawmakers acknowledged they would be paid nonetheless for two snow days despite the Legislature being closed. Legislative lawyers, however, had nixed paying for the interns and aides because they had not worked on-site.

Senate President Pro Tem David Shafer, R-Duluth, said the Senate's leadership — both Republican and Democratic — would instead pool private money from members to fill the gap. The deal affects only Senate aides and interns. The House has not announced whether it would do the same.