18 lawmakers benefit from per diem raise
MADISON - New state records show Wisconsin legislators benefited financially from an expansion of travel funding authorized by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos two months ago.
The legislators likely sought payment for more than $7,500 that was prohibited until Vos increased a cap on daily travel allowances Dec. 1.
Legislators from both political parties took advantage of the higher cap. The beneficiaries included five Republicans and 13 Democrats, but not Vos himself, according to a report recently released by the Assembly Chief Clerk’s Office.
State law allows Wisconsin legislators to claim daily travel allowances, known as per diems, on top of their $51,000 annual salaries whenever they work in Madison on state business. Legislators say the money helps recoup the cost of meals and lodging. But no receipts of expenses are kept and legislators may keep leftover cash.
In the Assembly, legislators may claim up to $69 per single-day visit to Madison and up to $138 per overnight stay. Senators may claim up to $88 per day, but the chamber might soon boost its rate to $115 per day.
Seeking to control the cost of per diems in the Assembly last year, Vos placed a cap on the number of days that could be claimed annually. Then in December he quietly raised the cap from 80 to 90 days, citing increased statehouse activity prior to a new legislative session.
It was unclear until the report was released how many legislators benefited from the higher cap. The 18 include:
Claimed 90 days: Terese Berceau (D-Madison), David Craig (RBig Bend), Andy Jorgensen (D-Milton), Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc), Sondy Pope (DMt. Horeb), Melissa Sargent (D-Madison).
89 days: Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton), Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit).
86 days: Gary Hebl (D-Sun Prairie).
84 days: Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa).
83 days: Chris Taylor (D-Madison).
82 days: John Nygren (R-Marinette), Tod Ohnstad (D-Kenosha), Lisa Subeck (DMadison).
81 days: Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam), Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee), Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point).
Barca, Berceau, Jorgensen, Kleefisch and Pope were identified by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin in December as legislators who would immediately benefit from the higher cap.
Party leaders and legislators who live near Madison typically claim more allowances annually than their peers, including in even-numbered calendar years like 2016 when activity in the statehouse winds down and campaign activity ramps up.
Legislator per diems have been around for decades. They gained renewed attention in 2015 after a bipartisan committee modified Assembly rates so legislators could claim more money for overnight trips to Madison. Vos pledged the change wouldn’t boost taxpayer costs because the committee also reduced how much legislators could claim for daily trips.
But the change didn’t exactly work out as planned. During the first year, legislators worked in Madison less often than previous years but received about $60,000 more in per diems. Vos was an example. Although he logged 20 fewer days in 2015 than 2013, he received about $230 more.
Per diem costs fell sharply during 2016 but didn’t entirely make up for the increased spending during the first year. Over the twoyear legislative session, Assembly per diems cost taxpayers about $18,900 more than the previous session and about $4,800 more than the session before that.
Still, Vos said the final tally was close enough to his pledge.
“The Speaker put forth a goal to keep per diem costs at the same level as the previous session. He considers this result a success,” spokeswoman Kit Beyer wrote in an email to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.