Lawmakers in lots of states get paid extra if they hold leadership posts or oversee important committees.
But few state legislatures have a bonus system as extensive as the one in New York's state senate.
Nearly all 63 state senators take home stipends nicknamed "lulus" that add between $9,000 and $34,000 to their wages.
That stipend system has now drawn new scrutiny following an investigation revealing that eight senators were getting bonuses reserved for committee chairmen, even though they held no such positions.
Some good-government groups say New York's senate may be the first that has found ways to pay lawmakers for jobs they don't have.
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