March 17, 2008

Spring break, legislative style

There are at least two trips abroad this legislative spring break, with one set of lawmakers traveling to Japan and another group headed to Spain.

The trip to Japan includes Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Desert, and Assembly members Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia, Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, and Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco.

The trip is sponsored by the Senate, which has a nonprofit that coordinates the details of the trip. (The set-up of the group received some ink in the Los Angeles Times over the weekend, which reported, "Government ethics experts say the arrangement is inappropriate.") Lawmakers headed to Japan must pay their own way through campaign or personal funds.

The trip to Spain is sponsored by the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy, a corporate and union funded nonprofit, which regularly puts together foreign sojourns for legislators. The CFEE trip is an all-expenses paid journey abroad for lawmakers.

Those attending include Assembly members Charles Calderon, D-Whittier, Mary Hayashi, D-Hayward, Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks.

The Associated Press has more about the trips, the itinerary and who is joining the lawmakers.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on March 17, 2008 9:58 AM