Legislators’ overtime bill is $188,000 so far

09/10/2005

Star Tribune
September 10, 2005

With the books still open on extra payments to legislators for their eight-week special session this year, members of the House and Senate have collected more than $188,000 in mileage and daily expenses.

Through Sept. 1, the biggest per-diem payments have gone to Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, $2,970. Eleven other DFL senators and one Republican also claimed more than $2,000. The only House member to claim more than $2,000 was Rep. Fran Bradley, R-Rochester, who put in for $2,112.

Overall, two-thirds of the per-diem money went to 69 DFLers. The rest went to 39 Republicans. The per-diem and mileage payments represent less than one-half of 1 percent of the Legislature’s combined annual budget of $42 million.

The $52,500 in mileage reimbursements went to outstate legislators. Those who live farthest from St. Paul typically collect the most. Rep. Bernie Lieder, DFL-Crookston, topped the House list in that category at $2,008. Individual mileage totals weren’t available Friday from the Senate.

So far, 60 GOP legislators, 38 DFLers and one Independence Party senator have not taken any of the $66 per-diem payments for which they are eligible for each day spent on legislative business. Those payments are on top of their annual salaries of $31,140.

Some legislators have announced that they will not accept extra pay for the special session, which was called when the House and Senate failed to agree on a two-year budget for the state by the regular session deadline of May 23. The budget eventually was enacted July 13 after an eight-day partial government shutdown that idled more than 9,000 state workers.

Senators have until Sunday to claim extra payments for the special session, House members until Oct. 11.