DENVER-
Lawmakers voted Thursday to raise their per diem rates after the sponsor of an amendment limiting their perks said lawmakers deserved to be paid for doing their jobs.
Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, said lawmakers haven’t had a raise in their per diem since 1989, despite increased costs.
“We’re asking you for your help,” she told the House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee.
Lawmakers who live away from home during the legislative session could collect another $6,120 a year in expenses under the bill (Senate Bill 139), increasing their per diem from $99 a day to about $150 a day under a federal index. They increased per diems for metro area lawmakers from $45 to $75 a day because they have fewer expenses than rural lawmakers.
Lawmakers said they had considered seeking an increase before public policy groups won voter approval for Amendment 41 banning lobbyists from buying meals or any gifts worth more than $50 for state lawmakers.
The amendment also bans gifts to any state employee or their families worth more than $50. Employees of cities or counties with their own ethics guidelines are exempt.
Jenny Flanagan, executive director of Colorado Common Cause, which proposed Amendment 41, said increasing funds for lawmakers should be a priority.
“There are necessary and reasonable costs associated with public office, and those costs should be borne by the state. The amount of money we put into our public servants is a reflection and an investment on how we feel and see our public servants,” she said.
