If you are interested in finding out how much pier Diem your state senator
or Representative has received you can find that information by calling
651-296-2339. Below is a story about overtime salary and pier dim. At the
bottom is a list of legislators that did not claim their pier diem during the
special session. I
Ken Bradley
Kenny Neighborhood
Posted on Fri, Sep. 09, 2005
Lawmakers get $136,000 in overtime payments 102 of 201 in Legislature paid
so far for 2005 special session BY PATRICK SWEENEY Pioneer Press Minnesota
lawmakers have so far claimed about $136,000 in daily salary and expense
payments for their eight-week special legislative session this summer,
according to House and Senate records.
A number of lawmakers ΓΒ Democrats and Republicans, and members of both the
House and Senate ΓΒ refused to accept the $66 a day payments they are allowed
to collect in addition to their $2,595 a month base salary. Others claimed the
pay for only part of the special session.
Many of those who refused to claim the money did so either in a show of
contrition for failing to get their work done by a May 23 constitutional
deadline, or in a demonstration of solidarity with state workers who lost pay
during a partial government shutdown, or in anticipation of retribution next
year from voters angry about the overtime session.
All payment totals are still incomplete because separate deadlines for
senators and state representatives to claim the per diems have not passed.
But, through a Sept. 1 payroll, 39 of 67 senators had asked for and received
the so-called "per diem" payments, according to legislative pay records
reviewed by the Pioneer Press. Sixty-three of 134 House members received the
per diem payments. The average payment total was $1,589 for senators who took
the per diem pay, and $1,171 for House members.
And, while the two bodies are nearly evenly divided between Republicans and
members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, DFLers so far have claimed
two-thirds of the per diem money that has been paid out.
The highest per diem total in each body went to committee chairmen deeply
involved in budget negotiations. LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, Senate education
budget committee chairman, claimed $2,970, and Fran Bradley, R-Rochester, House
health policy and finance committee chairman, claimed $2,112.
The per diems are an odd combination of expense payments and a salary
supplement for legislators who got their last increase in base pay in 1999.
During regular sessions, legislators receive per diems for weekends and
holidays, as well as days they work.
It is likely the number of legislators claiming the per diems for this
special session, especially in the House, will grow and the total cost will
increase. That's because House members have 90 days to claim per diems.
Senators are allowed 60 days. The special session ended July 13.
The per diem payments have been part of the legislative pay system for years.
But the per diems, especially during special sessions called to finish
unfinished business, have long been controversial.
In 2001, during a special session budget battle that was a lot like this
year's deadlock, then-Gov. Jesse Ventura challenged lawmakers to "come in on
their own dollar" and forgo the daily payments.
Early this year, a group of freshman Democrats in the House, led by Rep.
Larry Hosch of St. Joseph, and two Republican senators, Dave Kleis of St. Cloud
and Mady Reiter of Shoreview, introduced bills to bar per diem payments during
special sessions resulting from lawmakers' failure to complete their work. Both
bills died in committees.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who accepted per diem payments as a state representative
during the 2001 special session, called this summer for legislation that would
leave per diem policies as they are, but take away a month's base pay from
legislators and the governor if they failed to enact a budget by the May
deadline.
"Ordinary Minnesotans would not expect to be paid for running past a work
deadline, and elected officials should not expect it either," he said.
Visitors to the Minnesota Republican Party's State Fair booth last week were
invited to sign a petition endorsing Pawlenty's plan.
One person eagerly signing was Evelyn Schwartz, a pull-tab clerk from New
Brighton who called herself a liberal and a political independent.
"I just think that if they're doing their job properly, we shouldn't have to
pay them extra," said Schwartz.
"I think the public was irritated that the work wasn't done," said Rep.
Sandra Peterson, a freshman Democrat from New Hope who did not claim per diems.
"And I think it does something to soothe those irritated feelings to know that
we weren't collecting per diems, we were there on our own time."
But Rep. Tom Emmer, a freshman Republican from Delano, said he and the other
legislators who claimed per diems have no apologies to make. Emmer, an
attorney, said the $1,320 he earned in special session per diems was far less
than he would have made in his law practice.
"You're talking to a guy who at 44 years old made a significant personal and
financial sacrifice to serve my constituents," Emmer said
A few legislators routinely refuse to claim per diem payments during either
regular or special sessions, a few claim less than the $66 a day and some do
not claim the payments on weekends or holidays.
For the special session, senators and representatives were supposed to claim
per diems only for days they were attending floor sessions and committee
hearings or taking part in the budget negotiations between the House, the
Senate and Pawlenty. Outstate legislators also were allowed to claim per diems
for travel days.
Three of the Legislature's top four leaders did not claim per diems.
"We had not concluded our work on the budget in the regular session, and to
some people it was the fault of the leadership," said Senate Majority Leader
Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar. "And if it's the fault of the leadership, then you
shouldn't be collecting per diems."
Sen. Dick Day of Owatonna, leader of the Senate Republican minority, took no
per diem payments and wrote letters to three newspapers in his district to
announce his decision. He urged fellow Republicans to weigh their political
futures against the expense payments.
House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, never claims per diems.
House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, claimed $1,584.
Although the per diem totals are incomplete, Democrats so far significantly
outnumber Republicans ΓΒ 36 to 27 ΓΒ among House members claiming per diems.
House Democrats received $41,990 vs. $31,816 for Republicans. In the Senate, 27
Democrats claimed $48,510 in per diems; 12 Republicans claimed $13,464.
Will legislators who accepted the per diem payments face consequences when
they run for re-election next year? Probably not, predicted Don Ostrom, a
visiting professor of political science at St. Olaf College who served as a DFL
state representative from 1989 through 1996.
"For the most part, voters are more concerned about education or health care
or taxes than they are about the particular salary a legislator gets," Ostrom
said.
OPTING OUT
These state senators notified the Senate Fiscal Services staff they would not
claim per diems during the special session (the House did not maintain a
similar list):
Michele Bachmann, R; Richard Cohen, DFL; Dick Day, R; Michelle Fischbach, R;
Dean Johnson, DFL; Debbie Johnson, R; Bob Kierlin, R; Sheila Kiscaden, IP; Dave
Kleis, R; Brian LeClair, R; Becky Lourey, DFL; Sharon Marko, DFL; John Marty,
DFL; Jim Metzen, DFL; Geoff Michel, R; Mady Reiter, R; Julie Rosen, R; Dan
Sparks, DFL; and Betsy Wergin, R. During the special session, the $66 per diem
was only for days a legislator attended floor sessions or committee hearings,
or took part in budget negotiations. Outstate legislators could claim per diems
for travel days.