BATON ROUGE (AP) — Compensation for Louisiana's lawmakers has fallen slightly.
The payment legislators get for each day they are in session, attending interim committee meetings or participating in other meetings related to their position has dropped from $153 to $150.
The Advocate’s Marsha Shuler reports that under state law, that "per diem" payment is tied to the reimbursement rate federal employees receive while traveling in the Baton Rouge area. That rate went down Oct. 1, so legislators' rate did as well.
But starting Jan. 1, lawmakers will get a boost in their reimbursement for mileage from 56 cents to 57.5 cents per mile.
The money is in addition to base pay of $16,800 and a $6,000 in vouchered expense allowance that all lawmakers receive. Legislative leaders get paid more.
