The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE - Louisiana legislators are getting a little pay raise.

This month, legislators' per diem automatically went to $121, up from $120.

The per diem is paid for each day of legislative sessions - 85 days next year - and for attending other meetings such as interim committee sessions and conferences inside and outside the state.

The Legislature in 1997 tied its per diem to the travel rate the U.S. government pays federal employees in Baton Rouge. The rate, which changes every Oct. 1, has gone up all but one year since the Legislature approved the change. The per diem rate started at $75.

Lawmakers also make an annual salary of $16,800 and a $6,000 unvouchered expense account, which is counted as income for tax purposes.