"Feeding At The Trough", In The Kentucky Legislature, To Be Curbed.
High cost of refreshments, travel to be curbed in legislature
By Tom Loftus
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Since 2007, the General Assembly has spent at least $45,000 for coffee, and $39,000 for Pepsi products, and paid $2,300 to two Frankfort bakeries.
But spending on free refreshments for legislators was suspended last week, according to a memo from House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Senate President David Williams.
The action came after The Courier-Journal obtained from the Finance and Administration Cabinet a database of all legislative branch spending since Jan. 1, 2007.
It also came as Stumbo and Williams said they are working on a plan to restrict travel spending by legislators and staff.
The move to reduce travel costs comes after media outlets — including The Courier-Journal —requested records showing the travel costs for legislators and staff to numerous legislative conferences this year.
Records obtained by The Courier-Journal show that taxpayers spent $179,174 to send 28 legislators and 56 legislative staff members to the National Conference of State Legislatures meeting in Philadelphia in July.
That total will grow significantly because many legislators and some staffers have not submitted vouchers to be reimbursed for their airfare, hotel and meals.
Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, and Williams, R-Burkesville, said in separate interviews that the cost-cutting moves are necessary in tight budget times and have nothing to do with the media’s record requests.
“I've been talking about it for some time,” Williams said
The policy to stop spending on refreshments has already been imposed, the two leaders said. It curtails spending on bottled water, soft drinks, coffee and in some cases food available, free of charge, to legislators in the Capitol and in their offices in the Capitol Annex.
Stumbo said that only recently he realized “the numbers were getting a little out of reach.”
“We're doing away with it and putting in vending machines,” he said. “There won't be more free water, free pop, free coffee, free anything. No food.”
Williams said there have been instances where the policy was “abused,” and the best way to resolve it was to cut off such expenses.
Databases of legislative branch spending, obtained by The Courier-Journal under the Kentucky Open Records Act, show that in addition to the coffee, soft drink and bakery expenses lawmakers have spent $111,292 at Kroger alone.
They also show expenses at local restaurants such as $5,563 paid to Miguel's Restaurant, $3,576 at Longhorn Steak House, $4,509 at Chili's, and $4,701 at Honeybaked Ham Co. since Jan. 1, 2007.
Williams and Stumbo said many of these restaurant orders are for food brought to the Capitol late in budget sessions for lawmakers and staff working through the night.
Williams said spending on such carry-out meals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be approved if lawmakers and staff are working into the night and no food is available at the Capitol.
Regarding travel, Williams and Stumbo both said that it was important for Kentucky to have a good turnout at July’s National Conference of State Legislatures convention in Philadelphia because Louisville will host that event next summer.
The event will mean about $11 million to the Louisville economy, Stumbo said.
Stumbo and Williams said they didn’t know how much the legislative branch spends on out-of-state travel each year. But both said it's important — for budgetary reasons — to try to reduce the costs.
Both said they are working on a policy aimed at limiting the number of days a legislator can attend such events, perhaps restricting reimbursement for travel days.
Lawmakers are reimbursed for air, hotel and meal expenses and are paid their daily salary of $186.73 for each day they attend.
Stumbo and Williams generally defended the value of such conferences as learning experiences for legislators and staff.
“And I don't know that the cost is too high. There just needs to be some written policy,” Stumbo said. “It just makes it easier if there's a written policy and it's fair.”
Reporter Tom Loftus can be reached at (502) 875-5136.
By Tom Loftus
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Since 2007, the General Assembly has spent at least $45,000 for coffee, and $39,000 for Pepsi products, and paid $2,300 to two Frankfort bakeries.
But spending on free refreshments for legislators was suspended last week, according to a memo from House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Senate President David Williams.
The action came after The Courier-Journal obtained from the Finance and Administration Cabinet a database of all legislative branch spending since Jan. 1, 2007.
It also came as Stumbo and Williams said they are working on a plan to restrict travel spending by legislators and staff.
The move to reduce travel costs comes after media outlets — including The Courier-Journal —requested records showing the travel costs for legislators and staff to numerous legislative conferences this year.
Records obtained by The Courier-Journal show that taxpayers spent $179,174 to send 28 legislators and 56 legislative staff members to the National Conference of State Legislatures meeting in Philadelphia in July.
That total will grow significantly because many legislators and some staffers have not submitted vouchers to be reimbursed for their airfare, hotel and meals.
Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, and Williams, R-Burkesville, said in separate interviews that the cost-cutting moves are necessary in tight budget times and have nothing to do with the media’s record requests.
“I've been talking about it for some time,” Williams said
The policy to stop spending on refreshments has already been imposed, the two leaders said. It curtails spending on bottled water, soft drinks, coffee and in some cases food available, free of charge, to legislators in the Capitol and in their offices in the Capitol Annex.
Stumbo said that only recently he realized “the numbers were getting a little out of reach.”
“We're doing away with it and putting in vending machines,” he said. “There won't be more free water, free pop, free coffee, free anything. No food.”
Williams said there have been instances where the policy was “abused,” and the best way to resolve it was to cut off such expenses.
Databases of legislative branch spending, obtained by The Courier-Journal under the Kentucky Open Records Act, show that in addition to the coffee, soft drink and bakery expenses lawmakers have spent $111,292 at Kroger alone.
They also show expenses at local restaurants such as $5,563 paid to Miguel's Restaurant, $3,576 at Longhorn Steak House, $4,509 at Chili's, and $4,701 at Honeybaked Ham Co. since Jan. 1, 2007.
Williams and Stumbo said many of these restaurant orders are for food brought to the Capitol late in budget sessions for lawmakers and staff working through the night.
Williams said spending on such carry-out meals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be approved if lawmakers and staff are working into the night and no food is available at the Capitol.
Regarding travel, Williams and Stumbo both said that it was important for Kentucky to have a good turnout at July’s National Conference of State Legislatures convention in Philadelphia because Louisville will host that event next summer.
The event will mean about $11 million to the Louisville economy, Stumbo said.
Stumbo and Williams said they didn’t know how much the legislative branch spends on out-of-state travel each year. But both said it's important — for budgetary reasons — to try to reduce the costs.
Both said they are working on a policy aimed at limiting the number of days a legislator can attend such events, perhaps restricting reimbursement for travel days.
Lawmakers are reimbursed for air, hotel and meal expenses and are paid their daily salary of $186.73 for each day they attend.
Stumbo and Williams generally defended the value of such conferences as learning experiences for legislators and staff.
“And I don't know that the cost is too high. There just needs to be some written policy,” Stumbo said. “It just makes it easier if there's a written policy and it's fair.”
Reporter Tom Loftus can be reached at (502) 875-5136.
Labels: Keeping them honest, Kentucky politics
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 8:42 PM
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