By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Alabama spent nearly $282,000 on travel for legislators and their staffs in fiscal year 2004. But that amount was down about nine percent from the $311,000 that was spent the year before. State Representative James Buskey led his colleagues in travel spending. Reports say the state paid almost $7,800 in the last fiscal year for travel by the Mobile Democrat. That included a trade mission to Cuba and travel to regional and national meetings as far away as Canada. Buskey is a retired principal who has served in the Legislature since 1976. He says the trips allow legislators to pick up ideas they can bring back to Alabama. On the other hand, there were 40 state legislators who spent less than $100 each in travel last year.