By Andrew Oxford | Arizona Republic
House Bill 2053 would set a new rate based on the per diem rates used by the U.S. General Services Administration for government employees traveling to Phoenix.
Legislators from outside Maricopa County could see their daily allowance more than triple under legislation backed by the state Senate on Wednesday.
Voters have repeatedly rejected proposals to raise their part-time legislators’ annual salaries since a boost to $24,000 in 1998. But lawmakers from outlying counties have argued for raising the daily stipends they receive in addition to that salary, citing the costs of housing in an increasingly expensive Phoenix and travel back to rural districts.
Lawmakers are currently paid $35 a day during sessions and those living outside Maricopa County get an additional $25 a day. Those rates are slashed after 120 days in session, to $10 for lawmakers in Maricopa County and $20 for those from outlying counties.
House Bill 2053 would set a new rate based on the per diem rates used by the U.S. General Services Administration for government employees traveling to Phoenix.
