State lawmakers could not draw per diem benefits during any special session dealing with an unfinished state budget, under a bill that’s still alive in the Senate but likely has a questionable future at the legislature. Sponsor, Republican Senator Scott Jensen says, “I’m simply saying that, we as legislators say we didn’t get our work done, and we will be back within the next 30 days and during those 30 days we won’t being asking the taxpayer to pay an additional 85 [Senate] or 65 dollars [House] of per diem.”
There have been periodic proposals at the Minnesota Legislature to cut off legislative pay or per diem during special sessions but none of those bills have been successful.