Published: Sunday, Aug. 02, 2009

Updated: Sunday, Aug. 02, 2009

Legislators’ travel proves costly

MANATEE — State Sens. Arthenia Joyner and Mike Bennett claimed the most travel expenses among the local delegation serving in the upper chamber of the legislature, while Reps. Bill Galvano and House Speaker Pro Tem Ron Reagan claimed the most in the House, according to official records.

State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Sarasota, who was listed among the state’s “top five private fliers” in a report by the Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times last week, defended her choice of transportation, saying the “little rattletraps” she chartered with three others were hardly luxurious.

Bennett, R-Bradenton, also listed among the “top five private fliers,” declined to comment on his travel expenses. He said newspaper reports about the subject are biased, irrelevant and insinuate misdeeds that aren’t there.

“If the editor saw me walking across Sarasota Bay on top of the water, the next day the headline would say: ‘Bennett can’t swim,’ ” Bennett commented Friday.

Galvano and Reagan, both Bradenton Republicans, held top leadership positions in the House. They said their expenses were higher this year than in previous years because their official duties required more travel to Tallahassee.

“It’s every individual legislators’ fiduciary and moral responsibility to find the cheapest way to do it,” argued Robert Weissert, director of communications for Florida TaxWatch.

The Herald requested official legislative records covering travel expenses for the period from June 30, 2008, to July 1, 2009, for members of the local delegation.

Joyner, whose odd-shaped district juts like a tail into Manatee County, claimed $24,670.62: $9,217.21 in air fare, $894.33 for mileage and $14,559.08 in other expenses. Calls to her office for comment Thursday and Friday were not returned.

Bennett claimed $23,028.55: $10,824.50 in air fare, $124.60 in mileage and $12,079.45 in other expenses.

Detert claimed travel expenses of $17,151.71: $5,974 in air fare, $1,809.36 in mileage and $9,368.35 in other expenses.

Galvano claimed expenses totaling $15,711.77, while Reagan claimed $14,507.33 and Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota, claimed $14,396.86, according to official records.

Of Galvano’s total, $1,452.20 comprised air fare, $5,268.34 mileage and $8,991.23 other expenses. Reagan’s total included $4,400.15 for air fare, $1,833.04 for mileage and $8,274.14 for other expenses.

Occupying the low end was Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, whose district dips into Manatee, with a claim of $9,634.28, and Doug Holder, R-Sarasota, at $7,458.27.

“Other” expenses include travel costs other than airfare, such as rental cars; reimbursement of meals and lodging expenses incurred performing official business outside of the formal legislative session (for example, attending regular committee meetings in the Capitol); and “session subsistence,” a $133 per diem rate paid to legislators based on their actual attendance during the legislative session, according to Jill Chamberlin, spokesperson for Speaker of the House Larry Cretul.