Most new DFLers decline to accept per diem

05/25/2005

Dane Smith,
Star Tribune
May 25, 2005

Most members of the large class of 17 new DFLers elected to the House last fall—beneficiaries of a wave of anti-incumbent anger after the failure of the 2004 legislative session—will not accept the $66 per diem payment to which legislators are entitled each day of the special session.

“We’re not making a big deal out of it,” said Rep. Sandra Peterson, DFL-New Hope. “But it’s a way of making our point that we made a commitment to get our work done.”

Most of the freshman members already have notified fiscal managers that they will not accept the per diem, which is provided to help legislators defray incidental expenses, Peterson said.

A few legislators decline per diem or collect reduced amounts, but most others are expected to collect the stipend and other expense reimbursements, pushing the total cost of the special session to about $20,000 a day, according to estimates prepared by legislative fiscal officers.

Those costs include three major items: per diem, once-a-week round-trip mileage to the legislator’s home and lodging costs. Slightly more than half of the 201 legislators commute to the Capitol from their Twin Cities-area districts and do not collect a lodging allowance.

If all legislators collected per diem, the cost would total more than $13,000 per day. The once-a-week mileage reimbursement would cost $10,000 per week. Another significant expense is the broadcasting of floor sessions and committee meetings on cable television, which can cost as much as $3,000 per day but usually is much less. The Senate’s estimated bottom line is about $5,600 per day for its 67 members. The House, which has twice as many members and a different formula for lodging reimbursement, projects daily costs averaging more than $18,000. But House officials say that their projections are based on maximum use of compensation benefits, and that the actual total probably will be considerably lower.

House members and senators earn a relatively modest salary, $31,140, for their job as part-time citizen legislators. Per diem payments can bump that up by several thousand dollars, and the top three leaders in each body are paid 40 percent more in salary for their extra responsibilities.

Other increased costs of a special session are minimal. None of the temporary staff members hired during the regular session are retained for special sessions. Full-time staff members are paid the same regardless of how long sessions go. Extra printing costs are minimal, officials say, and things such as electricity and energy bills are only modestly affected.

Public perception of the extra expense probably will depend on how long the special session lasts. A monthlong affair could run up a tab of more than $500,000 and is sure to invite strong criticism, especially since the Legislature’s impasse is primarily centered on a projected budget shortfall and proposed revenue increases.