Some Florida officials using lobbyists' private planes
• McClatchy NewsRather than drive or fly commercial planes, a small group of
lawmakers has billed taxpayers for the convenience of getting to
Tallahassee on private planes -- some of them linked to lobbyists and
companies with a stake in the decisions legislators make.
The 19 Democratic and Republican legislators took private flights
totaling more than $37,000 during the recent legislative session, state
records show. That represents a fraction of the state's $66.5 billion
budget, but it raises questions about the relationships between
lawmakers and the groups seeking their votes. And in a time of deep bud
