Most states give legislators a per-diem for days in which the legislature is in session--and sometimes even when the legislature isn't in session. Tennessee is one of the most generous states, giving legislators a rate of $161. Writing in the Tennessean, Drew Johnson, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, takes some legislators to task:

To end per diem abuse, lawmakers should follow the spirit of the State Constitution and allow a maximum of 90 per diem requests each session. Since sessions rarely last a full 90 days, legislators could use remaining per diem allowances to offset the cost of attending relevant meeting or conferences.

In addition, lawmakers should receive per diems based on itemized hotel and meal receipts. Legislators should be reimbursed for the amount of their receipts or the current $161 per diem amount, whichever is less.

Several legislators, he notes, received $18,000 to $28,000 in per-diem payments last year, despite living within an easy driving distance of the capitol.