While we wait for the results of today's elections, here's a news release from Governor Steve Beshear on use of state aircraft.
Statement by Governor Beshear on Rules Regarding Use of State Aircraft
FRANKFORT, KY (February 5, 2008) – During my campaign for Governor last year, I said there should be a clear set of rules regarding the Governor’s use of state aircraft to make certain that if any part of a particular trip was non-government related, all costs of that part would not be paid for by the taxpayers of Kentucky.
Since I came into office on December 11, I have kept that promise.
We instituted a policy (copy attached) which clearly allocates those costs. This policy was applied to the one and only trip I took in January, which had both governmental and non-governmental purposes.
On that day, January 28, I flew to Paducah to speak with the Paducah Sun Editorial Board and then to the citizens of that area at the West Kentucky Community and Technical College about the financial condition of the state and my plans for future economic development.
During the day I also attended several campaign events for Will Coursey, Democratic nominee for the House of Representatives in a special election to be held on February 5. The airplane costs for that trip are being allocated according to the policy in place, and the Kentucky Democratic Party is paying the non-governmental part of those costs.
Any future flights involving trips, which have both governmental and non-governmental purposes, will be handled in the same way. This policy insures that no taxpayer money will ever be used to pay for any use of state aircraft which is non-government related.
Here is the guideline:
GOVERNOR’S GUIDELINES FOR ALLOCATING COSTS
RELATIVE TO STATE AIRCRAFT
KRS 36.415 recognizes the realities that time and security demands place on a Governor and Lieutenant Governor by providing that state aircraft may be used by the Governor or Lieutenant Governor and their immediate families for official business and for personal or non-official business when, “for reasons of security, protocol, ceremonial functions, or overall demands of time,” the Governor or Lieutenant Governor require travel considerations not accorded to other officials. The law states that flights may be “solely for personal business, or partly for official business or partly for personal business” and “may be scheduled for the Governor or Lieutenant Governor and their immediate families.”
Under that law, all costs for flights scheduled solely for personal business shall be paid with non-state funds. If a flight is part official business and part personal business, the Governor or the Lieutenant Governor shall make “a reasonable allocation of the flight time between official and personal business” and pay the part of the flight allocation to personal business with non-state funds.
“Official business” is defined in KRS 36.400(3) as “any activity involving travel in a state aircraft if the activity is reasonably required, expected, or appropriate, considering the nature of the using public official’s job responsibilities.” “Official business” includes, but is not limited to, attendance by officials at non-partisan ceremonial functions and events where attendance is expected by virtue of the office or where official representation of the Commonwealth is appropriate, and non-political flights by the Governor and his immediate family when accompanying or representing him.
Any costs of travel for personal purposes shall not be paid with state funds. Travel for political purposes is deemed a personal activity. The costs of travel for personal or political purposes shall be calculated using costs that would be considered at a rate developed by a commercial air charter company as described in KRS 36.415(2)(b) and the basis for the allocation shall be indicated on the attached form. The Director of Operations for the Governor’s Office shall be responsible for handling the request for use of the aircraft and allocation of costs. (See attached forms.)
If a flight is part official business and part personal business, the cost will be allocated based upon a “hard-time” formula, under which actual time “on task,” i.e., time spent in meetings, receptions, rallies and similar activity, and travel time between “tasks” is counted for cost purposes. For example, if the Governor travels to Paducah and spends one hour at a political party fund-raising dinner and three hours inspecting new technology at a factory and speaking to employees in connection with an administrative initiative, the allocation is 75% official and 25% non-official.
FRANKFORT, KY (February 5, 2008) – During my campaign for Governor last year, I said there should be a clear set of rules regarding the Governor’s use of state aircraft to make certain that if any part of a particular trip was non-government related, all costs of that part would not be paid for by the taxpayers of Kentucky.
Since I came into office on December 11, I have kept that promise.
We instituted a policy (copy attached) which clearly allocates those costs. This policy was applied to the one and only trip I took in January, which had both governmental and non-governmental purposes.
On that day, January 28, I flew to Paducah to speak with the Paducah Sun Editorial Board and then to the citizens of that area at the West Kentucky Community and Technical College about the financial condition of the state and my plans for future economic development.
During the day I also attended several campaign events for Will Coursey, Democratic nominee for the House of Representatives in a special election to be held on February 5. The airplane costs for that trip are being allocated according to the policy in place, and the Kentucky Democratic Party is paying the non-governmental part of those costs.
Any future flights involving trips, which have both governmental and non-governmental purposes, will be handled in the same way. This policy insures that no taxpayer money will ever be used to pay for any use of state aircraft which is non-government related.
Here is the guideline:
GOVERNOR’S GUIDELINES FOR ALLOCATING COSTS
RELATIVE TO STATE AIRCRAFT
KRS 36.415 recognizes the realities that time and security demands place on a Governor and Lieutenant Governor by providing that state aircraft may be used by the Governor or Lieutenant Governor and their immediate families for official business and for personal or non-official business when, “for reasons of security, protocol, ceremonial functions, or overall demands of time,” the Governor or Lieutenant Governor require travel considerations not accorded to other officials. The law states that flights may be “solely for personal business, or partly for official business or partly for personal business” and “may be scheduled for the Governor or Lieutenant Governor and their immediate families.”
Under that law, all costs for flights scheduled solely for personal business shall be paid with non-state funds. If a flight is part official business and part personal business, the Governor or the Lieutenant Governor shall make “a reasonable allocation of the flight time between official and personal business” and pay the part of the flight allocation to personal business with non-state funds.
“Official business” is defined in KRS 36.400(3) as “any activity involving travel in a state aircraft if the activity is reasonably required, expected, or appropriate, considering the nature of the using public official’s job responsibilities.” “Official business” includes, but is not limited to, attendance by officials at non-partisan ceremonial functions and events where attendance is expected by virtue of the office or where official representation of the Commonwealth is appropriate, and non-political flights by the Governor and his immediate family when accompanying or representing him.
Any costs of travel for personal purposes shall not be paid with state funds. Travel for political purposes is deemed a personal activity. The costs of travel for personal or political purposes shall be calculated using costs that would be considered at a rate developed by a commercial air charter company as described in KRS 36.415(2)(b) and the basis for the allocation shall be indicated on the attached form. The Director of Operations for the Governor’s Office shall be responsible for handling the request for use of the aircraft and allocation of costs. (See attached forms.)
If a flight is part official business and part personal business, the cost will be allocated based upon a “hard-time” formula, under which actual time “on task,” i.e., time spent in meetings, receptions, rallies and similar activity, and travel time between “tasks” is counted for cost purposes. For example, if the Governor travels to Paducah and spends one hour at a political party fund-raising dinner and three hours inspecting new technology at a factory and speaking to employees in connection with an administrative initiative, the allocation is 75% official and 25% non-official.
Labels: General information
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 6:03 PM
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