Management Council adds ALEC as an approved option for pre‑approved out‑of‑state legislative travel

The Management Council voted to allow legislators to use one of their two pre‑authorized out‑of‑state travel slots to attend meetings of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), bringing ALEC onto the list of groups whose meetings can be attended under the council’s pre‑approved travel policy.

Senator Lloyd Larson, who requested the change, said ALEC offers legislative academies and policy programming that some legislators find useful; several members suggested a stipend approach for travel in future policy updates. Director Matt Obrecht cautioned that the council’s current travel policy historically limits automatic pre‑approved travel to organizations in which the state participates as a legislature (for example NCSL and CSG), and recommended staff clean up travel policy language to reflect the change.

Members approved the motion to permit ALEC as one of the options for pre‑approved travel without increasing the number of pre‑approved trips per legislator; registration and travel costs for ALEC events will be reimbursed under the existing two‑trip allowance when requested and approved. Members also asked staff to invite both the Council of State Governments and the National Conference of State Legislatures to brief Management Council during the fall meeting about the value and services those memberships provide in light of the dues the Legislature pays.

Ending: The council adopted the change by recorded voice vote and requested LSO review and update travel policy language and consider a future approach to stipends and reimbursement rules.