California legislators gave over $ 820,000 trips last year

This story was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

Choose every day in 2024 and is more likely than not, the state legislator has been on travel, sponsored by corporations or non -profit organizations, many of which often have business in front of the state.

Last year, these interest groups spent more than $ 820,000 to take dozens of lawmakers on both domestic and international trips, according to financial announcement reports submitted by selected employees in March this year. The total number is less than $ 1.1 million spent on such trips in the year before.

Nearly 100 groups sponsored trips for 92 legislators, about three quarters of the legislature, to destinations ranging from areas such as Berkli and Napa to far away places such as Hawaii, Europe, Southeast Asia and Israel.

The most large sponsor of trips to legislators last year was the California Foundation for the Environment and Economy or Cee, which paid nearly $ 260,000 to take more than $ 40 legislators on domestic and international trips. Thehe Non -Profit organization was also the largest patron of the trip for lawmakers in 2022 and 2023S

Cfee is a unique being in California policy and brings together many organizations that usually fight each other on legislation and regulation. Companies and non -profit organizations can effectively pay for acquisition of places boardwhich includes representatives of large oil, organized work, environmental groups, large companies, tribes and other industrial associations, and some board members are invited to accompany selected tours.

International trips are called “tours” by non -profit purpose., And published List of the latest destinations and related areas of study on his website. Nine legislators attended the trip in March to the United Kingdom, which focuses on the impact and technology related to climate change, such as home insurance, offshore wind development and aviation fuel. Six legislators attended a trip in November to Taiwan and Vietnam, focused on electric vehicles, high -speed rail and diligence.

Each research tour had both democratic and Republican representatives who also attended the legislators who went, said that it made the trip even more a price. “I’m a left dem,” Saint said. WienerDemocrat from San Francisco, “and one of the things I appreciate for the legislature is that we can work on the path.”

Travels allow members to really get to know each other and find ways to work together, said a member of the Assembly Heath FloraRepublican from Ripon. He added: “Bilateral legislation is the best legislation.”

Legislators who have visited trips organized by the non -profit purpose In the past, they have described trips as a valuable way to learn from other countries and get ideas for future legislation.

Wiener, who went on the trip to the United Kingdom, said he found the trips “completely exhausting”. Flora attended the same trip and said the tours are “some of the most precious trips we take as selected employees.”

Seni. Anna CabalaleroDemocrat from Merced also attended the trip to the United Kingdom and said it was carrying three bills that were directly inspired by the trip: A person associated with the problems of long -term water supply., the one who would invest in an energy surveyand one to study biomass emissionsS