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Lawmaker in own league for off-session pay

Other leaders claim far less than Stengel

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 18, 2006 at midnight

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House Minority Leader Joe Stengel, who billed taxpayers almost $24,000 for working during the off session in 2005, has charged more than any other legislative leader in the past five years.

The Littleton Republican billed the state for 240 out of 247 off-session days during 2005. He said he worked weekends and all but seven major holidays.

"I'm not doing anything that legislative leaders before me haven't done," Stengel told the Rocky Mountain News earlier this week.

But an initial check of leadership payroll records dating back to 2000 shows that no other lawmaker in leadership has come close.

Rep. Keith King, R-Colorado Springs, served as the majority leader in 2004. He billed for 183 days, collecting $18,117 in pay, according to legislative records.

"I worked some weekends, but I didn't bill for it," King said. "I didn't feel right about it."

Former Majority Leader Doug Dean, R-Colorado Springs, billed for at least 184 days in 2000, collecting $18,216. The figure is short by anywhere from five to 15 days, or almost $1,500, because it doesn't include the Legislative Council meetings leaders attend in the off session.

The law allows the six legislators in leadership - three in the Senate and three in the House - to collect $99 a day during the off session for attending to legislative matters.

The session begins in mid-January and ends in mid-May.

Stengel billed the state for the first 11 days in January and every day after May 9, with the exception of seven holidays.

He collected $23,760 in leadership pay, on top of the $30,000 salary all legislators collect.

"I am a minority leader 24 hours a day," he said in the earlier interview.

He could not be reached for comment on Friday.

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, last year billed $14,355 for working 135 days. Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon, D-Denver, charged $10,890 for working 110 days.

Colorado Democratic Party Chairwoman Pat Waak has questioned Stengel's billing and requested copies of his time sheets under Colorado's open records law.

"If Rep. Stengel can show that he has not done anything improper, we will be more comfortable with the level of expenditures," she said.

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