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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- Utah legislators can collect a daily lodging allowance even when they don't use hotels, returning home instead after a day of business at the Capitol.
One legislator, Sen. John Valentine of Orem, says lawmakers who take the allowance but don't need or use it could save taxpayers $300,000 a year by giving it up.
The Legislature gives every member a $100 daily stipend for lodging whether they need it or not. Most legislators from Salt Lake and Davis counties return home every night from the Utah Capitol during sessions but can pocket the hotel allowance in addition to their $130-a-day salary.
Valentine tells The Salt Lake Tribune he's introducing legislation to put a stop to the practice.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
