Sen. Delph has introduced SB 355. It would give a 10% increase to the per diem received by legislators who live more than 50 miles away from the state capitol building. According to the fiscal impact statement,(pdf) that would apply to about 105 of the 150 legislators.
The current amount is about $152 per day that legislators receive for a day during which they are performing legislative business (attending session days, attending interim study committees, etc.) The $15 per day bump for most legislators would increase expenses by about $190,000 for long sessions and $110,000 for short sessions.
The distance between a member’s residence and the state capitol shall be determined using the shortest of the more commonly traveled routes between the state capitol building and the legislator’s residence. (Given the past unpleasantness with determining our former Secretary of State’s residence, particular care should probably be taken to define “residence.”)
Unless this includes a hotel room, it sounds nutty to me. I believe the government mileage rate is now $0.565 cents per mile so if the $152 per day is just for mileage, it’s way too much for someone living 51 miles from Indianapolis.
Surely each member’s mileage expense should be different.
If it includes meals, what the heck are these people eating?
maybe this should exclude those legislators who live more than 50 miles
away from Indlps but either they or their spouse also own second residences within Marion or the donut counties
Charlie,
Not sure why you’re using mileage to calculate expenses. The point is they are not driving back and forth every day. They’re staying in Indianapolis and having the expense of a hotel room, food, etc.
It never made sense to me to give the Indy-area reps, people who can stay in their own homes, the same per diem as those who live farther away and have to get other accommodations.
I began with, “Unless this includes a hotel room”.
My point was that in my mind at least, expense reimbursement should be just that, a reimbursement expenses incurred.
I can understand using the government mileage rate for mileage and a per diem amount for meals but hotel costs should be by receipt so the person doesn’t “make money” on the deal.
The IRS mileage rate is $.565, but the State only reimburses employees $.44.
(Gasp, with feigned horror.) Indiana under reimburses its employees?