Salary and Benefits
Representatives elected or re-elected in the fall of 2008 received an annual salary of $49,943.
In addition to their salaries, Representatives outside Dane County may receive up to $88 a day each in living expenses while they are in Madison on state business. Members of the Dane County delegation are allowed up to $44 each in expenses.
Each Representative also receives $75 per month in "out-of-session" pay when the Legislature is in session for three days or less.
Over two years, each representative is allotted $12,000 to cover general office expenses, printing, postage and district mailings.
According to a 1960 study, at that time Assembly salaries and benefits were so low that in Milwaukee County, positions on the County Board of Supervisors and the Milwaukee Common Council were considered more desirable than seats in the Assembly, and an average of 23% of Milwaukee legislators did not seek re-election. This pattern was not seen to hold to the same extent in the rest of the state, where local offices tended to pay less well.
Read more about this topic: Wisconsin State Assembly
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