Topeka ? Last month at the annual Pancake Day Celebration in Liberal, Gov. Bill Graves took the state’s executive plane and brought along a few colleagues all moderate Republicans like himself and all running for state office.

According to state records, the flight on the King Air 350 turboprop cost taxpayers $778.

Gov. Bill Graves' King Air 350 turboprop is built by Wichita-based Raytheon. Graves has come under criticism from conservative Republican legislators for the cost of using the plane while the state faces budgetary belt-tightening.

Less than two months earlier, Graves and Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer used the plane separately to get themselves, family and others to Phoenix, where Kansas State University was playing in the Insight.com Bowl.

Sherrer’s portion of the flight cost taxpayers $3,225, according to flight reports filed with the state. Sherrer said it was a legitimate expense because he was going as a representative of the state.

After dropping off Sherrer’s party, the plane returned to Kansas to fetch Graves and his family, who then used the plane to take his family to Palm Springs, Calif., for vacation.

The plane returned to Topeka empty, then back again several days later to Palm Springs empty to bring the Graves family home. The tab for that travel was $5,549. Graves billed the state for the portion of the trip to Phoenix and reimbursed the state for the vacation part, according to his spokesman Don Brown.

Less than a week after that trip, Graves opened the 2002 legislative session by telling Kansans they would to have to pay more taxes and face cuts in services in order to fill a $700 million shortfall.

The Legislature has yet to solve the budget problems, but some lawmakers are becoming increasingly upset about the use of what is called the “the governor’s plane.”

“People are tired of these special privileges,” said Sen. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler.

But Graves’ staff shrugs off the complaints.

“Those who would try to play a few hundred dollars of official travel versus a $700 million shortfall should spend more time on the making of the budget,” Brown said.

Trip to Liberal

Onboard the plane trip from Topeka to Liberal were Graves; Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall, who is running for governor; state Sen. David Adkins, R-Leawood, who is running for attorney general; and state Sen. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka, who is running for state treasurer.

All face Republican Party primary opposition from members of the conservative wing of the party.

“I don’t see a lot of conservatives being invited on the plane,” said Huelskamp, a conservative Republican.

Huelskamp, whose senatorial district includes Liberal and who was at the Pancake Day Celebration, said he was angered when he learned the group came together on the plane.

“It qualifies as an in-kind contribution made by the state, which is unethical as heck. The perception out there is that the plane is being used for campaign purposes,” he said.

But those who traveled with Graves said they were there as state officials, and it was a legitimate expense for taxpayers to pay.

“We weren’t allowed to campaign,” Jenkins said.

“He (Graves) wanted me to go and I was pleased to do so,” Adkins said.

They all returned a day later on the plane, except for Stovall, who got a ride in a car with someone else and campaigned on the way back, according to her spokesperson.

Wings across Kansas,

The governor’s plane is used by the Governor’s Office, Lieutenant Governor’s Office, and several other executive agencies, but mostly by Graves’ office and Kansas University School of Medicine. The plane costs about $375 per hour to operate.

The Journal-World reviewed scores of flight records. The documents showed the plane is used primarily by state officials to attend meetings, speak at functions or attend to agency matters. Most of the travel is within Kansas.

But Graves raised the hackles of some lawmakers two weeks ago when he took the plane to go to the first-round game in the NCAA Tournament between Kansas and Holy Cross in St. Louis. He brought along two powerful lawmakers and Jack Brier, a longtime friend and high-ranking state official. The flight cost taxpayers about $750.

Although Graves said there was nothing wrong with taxpayers paying for that trip, his spokesman Don Brown said Graves is not going to Kansas’ Final Four matchup on Saturday in Atlanta. He said the governor had family commitments. If Kansas wins, Brown said, he was not sure whether the governor would attend the championship game Monday.

In the past year, Graves has used the plane for personal and family reasons, but has always reimbursed the state for those kinds of outings, Brown said.

Two times in the past year, he has used the plane to attend Republican Governors’ Assn. meetings, and both times he reimbursed the state from his campaign funds, Brown said.

Brown said Graves reimbursed the state from his own pocket for use of the plane on family trips to New Mexico, the one to California, and for a trip to Nashville where he met with the American Trucking Assn. That is the organization he will lead when his term of office is over next year.

Praeger flies too

In September, Graves collected a group of lawmakers and state officials to go on an annual farm and ranch tour.

Sen. Sandy Praeger, a moderate Republican from Lawrence who is running for state insurance commissioner, also went.

“I’ve gone on that trip several times. I asked to go. I said, ‘If you have room on the plane, I’d like to go.’ I didn’t find out until the last minute that I was going,” Praeger said.

Huelskamp questioned why Praeger, who is chairwoman of a committee that handles insurance and banking matters, would go.

But Praeger said the trips are always a wonderful learning experience.

The flight to Dodge City and back cost about $700.