Topeka — Note: This article is part of a weeklong series, running March 14 to March 20, honoring Sunshine Week.
Have an open records idea?
Is there an open record you would like to see? E-mail your ideas to Shaun Hittle.
Obtaining the information
What information and records were requested? Legislators’ travel expenses to conferences.
Which agency? Kansas Division of Legislative Administrative Services.
How quickly did they respond to request? Within 21 minutes the department e-mailed, saying it had records related to the request. The information is based on summaries on travel reimbursements.
How much did records cost? Records were provided free of charge.
Was any information from request denied? No.
Is this information currently accessible by the public? It is not available online but available on request.
Even during a budget crisis, Kansas legislators and their staff hit the road at taxpayer expense to attend conferences.
In fiscal year 2009, which covers the period from July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009, travel and salary expenses to conferences for the Legislature totaled $235,986, according to documents obtained by the Lawrence Journal-World through an open records request.
Legislators hit meetings across the country and a couple in Canada.
The biggest trips were to New Orleans and Chicago.
In July 2008, Kansas taxpayers paid $41,961 for 20 legislators (13 Republicans and seven Democrats) and five staff members (four from Republican leadership offices, one from the House clerk’s office) to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures legislative summit in New Orleans.
And also in July 2008, taxpayers paid $32,143 for 14 legislators (13 Republicans and one Democrat) and two staff members (from Republican leadership offices) to attend the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual meeting in Chicago.
By the start of fiscal year 2010, which was July 1, 2009, the state’s revenue plunge was more than evident, and lawmakers had reduced out-of-state travel, but a huge in-state conference drove up travel expenses to a level even higher than last fiscal year, and there are still four months remaining in this fiscal year.
In fiscal year 2010, the travel meter is at $236,883.
Almost exactly half that amount — $118,883 — was for more than 100 legislators to attend the Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Legislative Conference held in August in Overland Park. State Sen. Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, is chairman of the non-partisan conference, which includes 11 Midwestern states.
But aside from being the host state for that conference, the Legislature has put in restrictions on who gets reimbursed for travel. Reimbursement is now restricted to legislators who serve as officers of the organizations that are having the meetings or who serve as a chair or vice chair of committees.
Comments
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Thinking_Out_Loud (anonymous) says…
These are reasonable trips, and reasonable costs for them. I think it is important that legislators have an opportunity to develop their knowledge base and their legislative skills.
Here's the other side: I don't mind that the State invests in its legislators this way, but I do expect to see results in terms of better legislators who are better at what they do. I can't say I see that.
danemary (anonymous) says…
trips are used by state legislators the same way obama uses them. to vacation!!!!!
with the internet and all other means of education available to them, legislaturers have all the information necessary without going here and there on vacation.
obama has taken 33 vacations, at our expense, during the past 11 months at a cost of 15 million dollars!!!!!
Shardwurm (anonymous) says…
Liberal Journal World trying to stir up more *#$@. Let me guess - next you're going to tell us how many teachers' jobs could be saved if the legislature worked from home.
Idiots.
davey (anonymous) says…
Education, social services, highway projects, and state offices are cutting to the bone. During hard times travel expenses should be eliminated. This is unbelievable.
bear1956 (anonymous) says…
Travel budgets for state employees have been to almost nothing. Professionals that require continuing education are not allowed to attend conferences. Employees whose jobs require travel to all parts of the state have had their travel budgets cut to the point it is almost impossible to do the job. On top of that hourly employees are not allowed overtime so they cannot make more efficient use of the travel they are allowed to accomplish more in one trip. But that is just business as usual. The elected officials of the state always are exempt from the rules that govern the regular employees.
Scruggsy (anonymous) says…
The laws they make and budget cuts they force on other agencies don't apply to them. Could have fixed a few highway pot holes with $235,986... Don't they have a big building with a dome in Topeka where they could have meetings?
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"obama has taken 33 vacations, at our expense, during the past 11 months at a cost of 15 million dollars!!!!!"
Source?
yankeevet (anonymous) says…
ALL of these elected people; are the same; they gouge the taxpayes; and spend the money with no regard ; as its not theres.; just and excuse to take a paid vacation;...........and if they want too expand their knowledge and legislative skills....................stay home and a read a book!!!!!!!
imastinker (anonymous) says…
I suppose none of you have any idea how much it costs to have people out on the road for a job. Most of the time travel expenses cost MUCH more than salaries. It's pretty easy to hit a couple grand in a week if you're flying and a grand in a week if driving and staying in cheap motels.
I find nothing unusual here. There's quite a few legislators that contributed to that quarter million. On top of that, it may include travel costs for folks to come to the capital during the legislative season. That should be considered part of their pay.
Kontum1972 (anonymous) says…
what a great country....TaDa..!
ferrislives (anonymous) says…
Shardwurm, you are a hypocrite. If the majority of these legislators were Democrats instead of Republicans, you'd be up in arms.
Kontum1972 (anonymous) says…
RATS are RATS no matter what party they belong too...ride the wave....
tomatogrower (anonymous) says…
I hear a lot of conferences for teachers have been cut off, and they actually learn something at conferences, and they are usually in state.
Centerfield (anonymous) says…
"obama has taken 33 vacations, at our expense, during the past 11 months at a cost of 15 million dollars!!!!!"
Appears to be a false statement.
In fact it states that Ronald Reagan, George Bush Jr. & Sr. took more time off.
I can't find a source as to the cost of any/all vacations a president may take.
FactCheck.org: (Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania)
http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/pres...
Kontum1972 (anonymous) says…
whats a vacation?
flux (anonymous) says…
The vacation comment was pretty silly........ come on 33?
concerned1 (anonymous) says…
"I hear a lot of conferences for teachers have been cut off, and they actually learn something at conferences, and they are usually in state."
Exactly! Most schools that I know of have cut of travel to conferences and the such for all staff unless it's paid for by grants or the ones putting on the conference. Amazing how these fat rats in Topeka can't see the hypocrisy of their ways.
Bob_Keeshan (anonymous) says…
Where are the names?
This is more of a Partly Cloudy Week report.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
My sister is a teacher in another state. She was supposed to go to a conference this week but that got taken away. Even though the trip was to paid for by a grant and not out of the budget the tripped got pulled because of the "appearance" of sending a teacher to a conference when the district is facing budget shortfalls.
Stupid but I understand the decision considering people don't actually like facts. They'd much rather get in an uproar over an assumption then to face the fact that they were wrong.
ralphralph (anonymous) says…
Is there a list of the names of the legislators who incurred this travel expense?
Any patterns as to who is racking up the most?
75x55 (anonymous) says…
How tedious, eddy.
lounger (anonymous) says…
Our -so called- leaders in topeka are crooks. They can do most of what they are doing online but choose to get a free ticket. If no one makes a big deal of it they will continue to steal from us.