By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics
Colorado House Democrats on Thursday voted to boost the pay of General Assembly lawmakers beginning in the 2025-26 fiscal year, with those living in the Denver metro area getting substantially more in actual dollars and rate increase than policymakers who reside outside.
The cost to taxpayers for the higher per diems is just shy of $300,000 in 2025-26.
Metro-area legislators’ per diem has not increased for more than three decades.
Under House Bill 1059, the per diem rate claimed by lawmakers who reside in the Denver metro area will increase to 25% of the federal per diem rate set for the city and county of Denver by the U.S. General Services Administration.