Thousands spent attending ALEC Conference in New Orleans

At a time when Missourians are out of work, wondering if they will soon join the ranks of the unemployed, or recovering from the natural disasters that have hit this state over the past few months, at least a dozen Republican legislators, dedicated to cutting every dollar possible from the state budget, spent thousands for a three-day vacation in New Orleans.

The vacation, as I have been reporting was the annual American Legislative Exchange Council meeting in New Orleans, with the attendees including Rep. Tim Jones, R-Eureka, who has been tabbed to become Speaker of the House in 2013, and Rep. Shane Schoeller, R-Springfield, who is expected to run for secretary of state.

Information from ALEC's website indicates the registration fee for the annual meeting, which was held Aug. 3-5 at the Marriott, was $675 for ALEC members and $725 for non-ALEC members. Private sector representatives paid $1,099 for access to state legislators from across the country.

The registration fee for spouses was $150, while the cost of a single room at the Marriott was $183 a night. Double rooms cost $213 a night.

The money for the legislators to attend the meetings is paid for through so-called ALEC "scholarships," paid for by the same groups which are submitting ready-made legislation that is then dutifully filed by the legislators during the next session.