State lawmakers spent $6 million on their district office leases last year, a Times-Shamrock Communications analysis of legislative records found.
The newspapers filed a Right to Know Law request to obtain amounts spent on 442 office leases in 2013 by the 253 Senate and House lawmakers. The 442 leases may not include all satellite offices, particularly those rented for limited use.
The $6 million sum is three times what the governor initially proposed next year to fund local Children's Advocacy Centers to help victims of child abuse.
"Full-time legislators are armed with mail privileges, Public Service Announcements and a budget for mass mailings, newsletters and travel and lodging. And they spend $6 million annually to be outfitted with district offices," activist Eric Epstein, coordinator of Rock The Capital, said.
House lawmakers spent a combined $3.8 million and senators, $2.1 million. The Northeast delegation spent $706,000 on leases last year, compared to $650,000 in 2011.
The annual legislative audit lumps together spending for district office leases, other leased office space, leased equipment and other items. The General Assembly spent $13.8 million on leases in fiscal 2011-12, the most recent report available.
The $6 million figure is determined by adding up the lease costs in the documents obtained through the Right To Know for the previous calendar year. The audit doesn't break out the figure for district office leases in the 2011-12 fiscal year.
The budget for the General Assembly and support agencies for fiscal totals $321 million for fiscal 2013-14.
District office lease costs vary widely across the state depending on local real estate markets, office locations and how many offices or satellite offices a lawmaker has.
Office locations range from suites in downtown buildings to rooms in municipal buildings and storefronts in small towns or strip malls along commercial highways. A number of Northeast lawmakers have inherited offices from their predecessors and in a couple of cases from a lawmaker they unseated.
Statewide, Sen. Andrew Dinniman, D-19, West Chester, spent the most on office leases last year at $82,388; Rep. William Keller, D-184, Philadelphia, spent the least at $4,200, according to newspaper's analysis. Among the Northeast delegation, Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-18, Bethlehem Township, spent the most among senators at $55,891. Baker spent the least at $32,985. Rep. Kurt Masser, R-107, Ralpho Township, spent the most among House lawmakers at $25,200. Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, Tamaqua, spent the least at $10,200.