So which state’s legislature employs the most people?

You’re probably guessing “California.” Wrong. New York seems like a haven of patronage and no-show jobs, so it must be the leader, right? Nope.

Illinois? Nope. Not Texas, not Florida.

Pennsylvania. “Even with above-average salaries and benefits, the state’s 253 legislators actually account for only a small portion of the total cost of running the General Assembly. The real expense comes from its support staff, which numbers nearly 3,000, the largest legislative staff in the nation. Its 2,918 employees outnumber the next two largest, New York at 2,751 and Texas with 2,388, even though the latter states have much larger populations. The numbers are drawn from a 2009 analysis, the latest available, by the National Conference of State Legislatures. They do not reflect recent changes, like California’s much-publicized staff cutbacks caused by its fiscal problems and the poor economy. But Pennsylvania’s legislature has not seen that kind of trimming.”