Lawmakers heading to Boston on public’s dime

Legislators defend trip to convention as chance to network, learn and teach

Republicans, many of whom criticized Gov. Martin O’Malley for his travel since taking office in January, will be well-represented in Boston.

Del. Steven R. Schuh, a freshman Republican from Anne Arundel County, is on tap for the trip.

‘‘I think continuing education on the part of legislators is critical. Not only is it a good use of time and money, [but] I’d like to see more people take advantage of it,” said Schuh (R-Dist. 31) of Gibson Island.

The state stands to benefit, Schuh said, because of the ‘‘knotty” issues facing the legislature, such as the budget, immigration and school improvement. All 188 lawmakers should go, he said.

‘‘I think it’s a very good use of money, and I’m a deficit hawk,” Schuh said.

Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. decide who will go to Boston. Registration for the five-day conference is $455, and NCSL has struck deals with 17 hotels with nightly costs ranging from $152 to $229 a night, said Bill Wyatt, the conference’s spokesman.

‘‘It’s an opportunity for legislators to meet with their contemporaries across the country and across the world ... to see what works and doesn’t work,” Wyatt said.

Senate Majority Leader Edward J. Kasemeyer agreed.

‘‘I think in this day and age, it’s kind of corny, a lot of people feel that there’s a lot of beneficial [information],” said Kasemeyer (D-Dist. 12) of Columbia. ‘‘There are a lot of significant issues. These things are helpful because you talk to colleagues around the country to see what they’re doing.”

NCSL has a lengthy schedule. Sessions run the gamut, including state regulation of end-of-life care, foster care for children, new technologies for legislatures and health disparities.

‘‘It is not a junket. I don’t consider it to be frivolous. ... I think I will learn a great deal on emerging policy trends that will help me become a better legislator,” said House Minority Whip Christopher B. Shank (R-Dist. 2B) of Hagerstown.

Sen. Robert J. Garagiola is planning to attend seminars on health care and energy.

‘‘I think that a lot of the challenges we face, often, we can get good solutions from other states,” said Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown.

Maryland lawmakers not only will be learning on the trip, but they also will be teaching.

Sen. Verna L. Jones (D-Dist. 44) of Baltimore is part of a panel discussion about states divesting in companies doing business with Sudan. Maryland lawmakers approved a divestment plan this year.

Another seminar will discuss dropping out of the Electoral College and opting for a national popular vote. That was a first for Maryland.

And House Ways and Means Chairwoman Sheila Ellis Hixson (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring will be part of a panel discussion on the economic outlook for states.

‘‘A lot of legislation that we generate here [in Maryland] comes from ideas that we learn at the National Conference of State Legislatures,” said Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis. ‘‘They’re the ones who have a direct conduit to what takes place in Washington and explain how legislation affects local government.”

As the lawmakers dine, a number of private companies and not-for-profit foundations are picking up the tabs. The pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, which has facilities in Boston, is paying for a couple of lunches. Propylon, a legislative software company, is providing a dinner.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a New Jersey philanthropic organization dedicated to improving health, is picking up the tab for a lunch and a reception. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is paying for a preconference event. The Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore also is paying for a couple of meals.

Exhibitors include Terminix, MasterCard Worldwide, BP America and the Marriott Vacation Club. Wal-Mart will have a booth, as will critic Wal-Mart Watch. Lawmakers will be able to hear spiels from the Beer Institute and the Marijuana Policy Project.

The John Birch Society will be there, and so will the American Association for Nude Recreation. Associations for nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, nurse anesthetists, pediatricians, cardiologists, dentists, optometrists, opthamalogists and spine specialists will be represented as well.

The conference also is drawing the American Anti-Vivisection Society, the American Humane Association, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the National Animal Interest Alliance, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Animal Protection Institute.

NCSL is not the only conference lawmakers attend. Busch is scheduled to attend the Southern Legislative Conference meeting in Williamsburg, Va., on Saturday.

Shank will attend the State Legislative Leaders Foundation’s Emerging Leaders Program next week at the University of Virginia, which is grant-funded. He also attended the American Legislative Exchange Council in Hilton Head, S.C., earlier this year.

As part of O’Malley’s budget cuts, the departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Juvenile Services, as well as the Maryland State Police, reduced travel expenses, according to documents supplied by the Governor’s Office.

The General Assembly provided $1.8 million in cuts toward a $153 million budget reduction.

Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said the state wouldn’t know the exact cost of the trip until lawmakers return and submit receipts. But the legislature’s own travel budget could be on the chopping block for next year.

‘‘I assure you, if we haven’t agreed to a funding formula, travel will be the first thing to go,” Miller said.

Staff Writer Alan Brody contributed to this report.