Agency: Unvouchered expenses ‘income’

The REPUBLICAN & Herald notes that two lawmakers paid taxes on their “unvouchered expenses.” But I thought UEs are not “income” so as not to be a direct violation of the Consitution’s prohibition against raising a lawmakers’ income in the same term in which they passed their own compensation increase?

Apparently Sen. Rhoades and Rep. Argall recognized the money for what it was/is: Income. While we applaud them for paying their taxes, isn’t this an admission of guilt in violating the Constitution–which, by the way, is the only pledge/oath our lawmakers must make to uphold?

Kind of a tough choice, I’d say. Either they become tax evaders or admitted violators of their oath of office. Guess the latter doesn’t have many punishments–other than the voters’ verdict at the ballot box.