…and, according to a Warwick Beacon letter to the editor from State Representative Susan Story (R-Barrington/East Providence), the RI legislature is no exception…

The Rhode Island General Assembly is one of the most generous of all state legislatures when it comes to its own budget. Data from the National Council of State Legislators shows that in 2005, Rhode Island was rated second in per capita spending on Legislative Branch spending – just over $23 per person in the state, where the neighboring state of Massachusetts, with a full-time legislature, spends just over $8. And states with similar populations spent much less – (Delaware, $12, and New Hampshire, less than $9.) To make matters worse, since that time, we have increased our budget from $25 million to the budget for next year of $36 million – over a 30 percent increase in just over three years! In this time of dire fiscal straits for our state, I feel this is irresponsible to say the least.