Taxpayers spending over $1 million on lawyers to defend pay raise

As first broken by the Philadelphia Inquirer:

""Do I like hiring lawyers to defend these kinds of suits? No, I hate to do this," said House Majority Leader Sam Smith (R., Jefferson). "I understand why people think it is a waste of money, but if we think we are right about the process, we have to defend it."

At least 16 private lawyers from five firms have worked on the cases for the state, including one who charges $625 an hour. That's in addition to six staff lawyers on the state payroll involved in the cases."

Not only do they have to defend it, they have to hire lawyers that earn as much in one hour as I earn in one week. If I were John Perzel, I would use that to justify a raise.