WE Blog

Much of the recent discussion related to state legislators’ travel expenses has been about the denial of a request by Rep. Valdenia Winn, D-Kansas City, Kan., for $1,000 to attend an educational conference in Oxford, England, next March. (The nonpartisan reason offered by GOP legislative leaders makes sense — it would have meant she’d miss a week of the 2006 legislative session.)
Of greater concern to Kansans, though, is the steep tab for all lawmakers’ recent travel to state government conventions: $198,483 during fiscal year 2005, up from $114,000 for fiscal year 2004. For 2005, legislative leaders removed a $700-per-trip cap for reimbursement they’d imposed during the budget crunch. But shouldn’t lawmakers travel rarely and spend frugally in all fiscal years?
Posted by Rhonda Holman