PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has vetoed legislation that would have tripled the amount state lawmakers receive for each day they work.
Ducey said Friday that such a change should only kick in after the next election. He says there's a "strong case to be made" to increase payments to rural lawmakers who must stay in Phoenix during the legislative session, and he's open to working with lawmakers on the issue next year.
Lawmakers in both parties backed the proposal. They noted that changes to federal tax law eliminated many expense write-offs.
Lawmakers earn $24,000 a year, plus a daily stipend of $60 for rural lawmakers and $35 for Maricopa County residents. The measure would raise the amount for expenses to $185 a day and half that for Phoenix-area residents.
