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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- In the past, being a lame duck didn't hamper outgoing legislators from flying off to taxpayer-funded out-of-state conferences just months before they left office.
This year is different.
Only one legislator leaving office in January is making a trip, and legislative leaders cited special circumstances in his case.
House Speaker Greg Curtis said, "We met as a (GOP) leadership team and decided (House) members shouldn't be attending these conventions if they are leaving" the Legislature.
He said the exception is for Rep. Dave Hogue, who already had made plane reservations for himself and his wife for the five-day meeting of the National Conference of State Legislators in Nashville, Tenn., next month.
The state doesn't pick up the travel cost for spouses, only for the legislator.
Hogue, R-Riverton, did not file for re-election, but instead challenged Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper. Hogue was eliminated at the state GOP convention in May.
Hogue said he asked Curtis if he could go to NCSL anyway, "because I'm co-chair of a special task force on education technology. I helped found the task force, and the final meeting is at this conference. I'd made my airplane reservations before the convention -- where I was eliminated -- because I felt it was critical to the people of Utah that I go to this convention no matter what."
No lame-duck senators are going to the summer conventions of the NCSL, the American Legislative Exchange Council or the Council of State Governments.
Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said Sen. Dave Thomas, R-South Weber, was scheduled to go to a conference, but canceled the trip after he lost his primary race.
Valentine said he discussed the issue of lame-duck travel with his GOP caucus, which decided lame ducks shouldn't fly this year.
In other election years, as many as half a dozen lame-duck lawmakers have flown off to summer legislative conventions, costing state taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
"We talked about what was appropriate," said Curtis, R-Sandy. "And we decided if a (legislator) is not coming back that they should not go."
So Curtis told the 75 members of the House they wouldn't be traveling out of state if they were retiring voluntarily or were booted out of office by party delegates or primary election voters.
"We just felt if they were leaving, it was wise management by the House of taxpayer dollars" for them not to take expensive trips, Curtis added.
"We won't be back in session this year -- it seems," he said, and so any retiring lawmakers wouldn't be able to use their conference-learned expertise in setting state budgets or running pertinent legislation.
Curtis also made sure House members could only attend one conference.
Three senators -- Curt Bramble, R-Provo; Mike Dmitrich, D-Price; and Carlene Walker, R-Sandy -- are attending two conferences this summer, according to lists provided by legislative staff.
Twelve senators are going to summer conferences of the NCSL, ALEC or CSG-West, and 31 House members are attending.
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Information from: Deseret Morning News, http://www.deseretnews.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
