Legislators Blow Up Travel Restriction Suggestions

By Kleinheider Posted on July 3, 2009 at 10:35 am

The I-Team busts this report:

While Tennesseans shivered at home in 49-degree weather in December, lawmakers enjoyed 70-degree weather while attending conferences in places like St. Petersburg, Fla.

These travels were made while the stock market was plummeting, the governor was threatening layoffs and the state’s 48,000 employees were reminded they were not to travel to conferences unless it was for an emergency or it was mandatory.

The I-Team looked at what lawmakers spent in the first quarter last year, including hotel and flight reimbursements. From December 2007 to February 2008, it cost taxpayers nearly $30,000.

This year, during the same time period, lawmakers traveled even more and cost taxpayers $33,354.95.

“They’re throwing this up in our faces, and saying, you know, ‘We’re going to apply these standards to state workers, but we’re going to travel around the country at taxpayer expense,’” Cunningham said.

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