



After hearing that state House Majority leader Glen Casada filed legislation to allow hotel reimbursement for lawmakers who lived within 50 miles of the Capitol, some folks have decided to deliver to his office what they think he should use instead of taxpayer money on a hotel: sleeping bags.

Casada, who lives 30 miles away from the Capitol in Thompson Station, spoke in favor of a bill just three years ago that discontinued a per diem for hotels for legislators living within 50 miles of Legislative Plaza.

In a Facebook event called "Support Nashville's Room [In The] Inn in honor of Glen Casada," the organizer asks people to either drop of sleeping bags or have them shipped to the Republican legislators office on Monday.

"If this bothers you as much as it does me, I think it's time to let Rep. Casada know what we think about being forced to pay for his hotel rooms when he lives closer to work than many of us do — and we don't get reimbursed."

The plan is to let Casada know that if he doesn't plan to use them, he should donate them to the Nashville Rescue Mission, and the group has also asked that people who are unable to participate to donate money to Room In The Inn and send a photo of their receipt to the group. They plan to give Casada a binder full of donation receipts to remind him of all the people who don't have a home to sleep in at night.



"Further, we all know he doesn't need our money to pay for his hotel stays because he has a perfectly fine house [in] his district — which is where he [is] supposed to sleep at night. But we also know there are plenty of people who don't have that same luxury, as they live on the streets."

Casada told NewsChannel5 he thought the legislation was "fair" because sometimes he works at the legislature until 9 p.m. and then has to be back at the Capitol at 7 a.m. You know, it's almost like he doesn't realize that's something a whole lot of people have to do in order to keep their jobs.

Update (6:25 p.m.): It appears Casada has already received his first package — a monogrammed sleeping bag. It also came with a Starbucks gift card and a letter indicating he should grab a cup of coffee "in the event [he's] feeling drowsy. If you're too sleepy, I've purchased you a sleeping bag for your office."

The letter goes on to say: "This total package cost $26.84, and this my dear snowflake is all the money you will get from Tennessee tax payers."





