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Every fiscal hawk is looking for cuts to State government. Sometimes those cuts are right in front of a legislator — on a plate in a restaurant, perhaps. In Juneau, that’s not cheap.
The State Officers Compensation Commission reduced legislators’ per diem during a short work session in October. Lawmakers typically get between $20,000 and $35,000 a year to cover meals and lodging while in session. The commission chopped that about in half, although the calculation is unclear and the recommendations must still be approved by the Legislature.
The commission, however, did not touch the per diem of members of the Executive Branch during its review. That’s not in its purview, except for that of the governor and his cabinet.