Virginia’s state legislators have spent nearly $130,000 in taxpayer funds as they continue grapple over the state’s $74 billion two-year budget.
The cost of running Virginia’s House of Delegates and Senate will continue to rise if the legislators extend the already historically long special session to come up with a statewide transportation plan.
As of May 18, the House had spent more than $82,000 on the special session (that began March 27), according to House clerk Bruce Jamerson. The Senate had spent more than $46,000 as of May 19, according to Senate Clerk Susan Schaar’s office.
Both figures include a daily $130 allowance when legislators are in Richmond, plus mileage reimbursements. There are several members of both houses who do not accept per diem or mileage, or who have donated their per diem to charity.
Del. Robert Brink, D-Arlington, who donates half of his per diem fee to the League of United Latin American Citizens Council’s scholarship fund, said special sessions put “a strain on the idea of the citizen legislature” since they stretch beyond January and February.
“I really think we should do our business in the 60-day session,” said Del. Vivian Watts, D-Annadale, who said she waives the allowance and mileage as her own “personal bit of integrity.” “If we didn’t have the per diem, the issue of sitting down and getting business done might have more weight behind it.”
House Speaker William Howell, R-Fredericksburg, said the cost is not a benefit to taxpayers since the House resisted the senate’s $1 billion tax increases for transportation.
“We will have saved taxpayers a lot more money than the cost of the session,” he said.
“Saving money means we aren’t going to get any roads either,” said Sen. Charles Colgan, D-Manassas, who said he forgoes the allowance, which he called “a waste of taxpayer money,” especially for the 10-minute pro forma sessions that require less than a handful of legislators.
