Todd County Minnesota: Representative Mary Ellen Otremba & Senator Bill Ingebrightsen Compensation

Lawmakers collect thousands for expenses
By Scott Wente, State Capitol Bureau, Alexandria Echo Press
Published Wednesday, January 23, 2008

PER DIEM REQUESTS
The two state legislators representing all or part of (Todd) County requested the following per Diem amounts for 2007:

Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen (R) – $11,020 (Senate average: $14,703).

Representative Mary Ellen Otremba (D) – $12,007 (House average: $10,232).

Minnesota legislators also receive an annual salary of $31,140 per year.

I believe they also get a housing allowance? The benefit package of our state leaders should be one set amount so there is more transparency in total compensation. It should be adequate so anyone can afford to serve their state. However, the packages should not encourage people to become career politicians. Can anyone say "term limits" again in the Republican Party? -NM

Additional Excerpt:

Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, took $76 a day for per Diem last year and said he’ll seek $86 this year. A first-term legislator, Ingebrigtsen said he wants lawmakers to give their compensation a closer look.

“At least reduce it so that you don’t have to go home and tell folks you need $96 to eat,” Ingebrigtsen said.

"The Legislature should consider increasing its annual salary limits to a certain percentage of the governor’s salary and then slashing per Diem payments or getting rid of the daily expense allowance altogether", he said.