“We need to cut legislative per diems,” Krug told the State Journal in 2010. “My first spending cut is promising not to collect one cent of (legislative) per diem money ever.”

He kept that promise in 2011 and 2012 but said in an interview last week he didn’t intend the promise to extend beyond his first term. He also said he was in the Capitol a lot more in 2013, meeting with legislators, negotiating with trade groups and heading up the Assembly Children and Families Committee.

“It might have been a slip to say ‘ever,’ but my intention was to help out in a tough budget time,” Krug said. “I try to help people understand I’m not getting extra salary; it’s reimbursements for travel.” Krug said he hasn’t heard anyone complaining about

the cost of per diem payments to taxpayers. Of the three legislators who didn’t take any per diems in 2012, he said, he was the only one re-elected.

“Two of them were voted out because there was a perception they weren’t doing their job,” Krug said.