Jan 9, 2008 11:12 pm US/Central
Reality Check: Legislators' Eye-Popping Expenses
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
Minnesota's state legislature starts a new session in about a month. Besides their salaries, lawmakers can collect extra cash to pay for things like meals. So who claimed the most in per diem last year?
Minnesota lawmakers haven't had a pay raise for nine years, but all of them get what amounts to a back door pay hike, adding up to thousands of extra dollars a year.
It's TRUE.
Minnesota pays its part-time legislators about $31,000. However, Senators and Representatives are allowed to claim up to $96 a day for expenses at the Capitol, like food.
All of them do it, quietly boosting their incomes by as much as 70 percent.
Here's what you NEED TO KNOW.
At the top of the list of per diem spenders for the Senate is St. Paul Democrat Mee Moua who accepted $21,954 in expense payments last year.
In the House, the biggest per diem taker is Willmar Democrat Al Juhnke who claimed $18,234 in daily expenses.
That's NOT THE WHOLE STORY.
The legislature last year spent a record $2.4 million on per diem payments, which is nearly $12,000 per legislator.
That boosts the average paycheck from $31,000 to nearly $43,000 a year.
Per diem payments are public information, but unlike most documents they won't be found on any state Web site. Citizens have to go down to the Capitol and ask for them in person.
That's Reality Check.
Click on the links below to see the per diem information for Senate and House members.
2007 House Per Diem Expense Report
2007 Senate Per Diem Expense Report
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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