KY legislators Defy State Law

Looks like Speaker of the Kentucky House Greg Stumbo needs another reminder:

Public service is a sacrifice, not a package of perks.

And one of those sacrifices is that your public duties are a matter of public record, all details subject to the state Open Records law. especially when you're spending big taxpayer bucks.

Kentucky lawmakers say it’s important they spend this week in Philadelphia at the National Conference of State Legislatures summit — but they won’t say how many of them are there or what it’s expected to cost the taxpayers.

Last summer, about 50 of the state’s 138 lawmakers went to the NCSL summit in New Orleans. House and Senate leadership brought Kentucky State Police with them as personal protection, as is their custom.

But on Tuesday, House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Senate President David Williams‘ offices refused to say how many House and Senate members asked for permission to travel to Philadelphia this week, while the state government — and the nation — grapple with a serious recession.

Stumbo and Williams are there, as are about 25 legislative staffers. But the identities of other lawmakers in attendance, the overall number and the estimated cost of sending them remains a mystery to the public.

“We’re not releasing any information right now,” said Stumbo spokesman Brian Wilkerson.

Wrong. You don't get to say that, Wilkerson. You release that information right this fucking instant, or you haul your filthy lawbreaking ass directly to jail.

Kentucky's Open Records Act is more than 30 years old. Stripped of details, it's pretty damn simple and straightforward:

Anything and everything done in the name of the people of the Commonwealth, by the representatives of the people of the Commonwealth, paid for with the money of the people of the Commonwealth, is the property of the people of the Commonwealth, to be shown to them at their request.

I expect crap like this from Senate president David Williams, who's a typical dictatorial repug, but Stumbo's endangering his man of the people reputation. I'm open to supporting Stumbo for Governor in 2011, but not if he keeps acting as if he's above the law.

Read the whole thing.