We Paid For It: Lawmakers' Mail

Chances are all of us have received at least one letters in the mail from a state lawmaker introducing themselves to people he or she represents in the legislature.

You may read it or throw it in the trash. Either way we're paying for it.

Whether that letter comes from a Senator or Representative differs in how much we pay.

House members are allowed $500/month to send out mail. If they don't spend the full amount each month, the amount is not carried over. Still, with 101 House members, that's up to $606,000/year of our money for mail.

While this may seem high, in the past, House members had much fewer restrictions how much they could mail.

Senators are allowed $1100 each year as part of a communications budget. That not only includes stamps and letterhead, but any electronic equipment for each office. For 50 Senators,  the grand total is $55,000.