Spending Disclosed for Harkey, Wyland

When it comes to expenses for aides and travel, local lawmakers' seem to spend on par with their Sacramento colleagues.

Detailed expenditure reports released late Friday after some political hoopla show (R-Dana Point) spent $223,576 in the first seven months of 2011, while spent $949,949 in 2010. For both, a majority of costs went to salaries and benefits for staffers.

The reports detail spending for individual assembly members and senators. They were released between Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) and Assembly Speaker John Pérez, who had accused Portantino of being an extravagant spender.

The reports are now posted on the Assembly's website.

According to the Sacramento Bee, "traditionally, both houses have published such data 12 months after the end of each legislative year—thus, 2011 records would not have been unveiled until the week after Thanksgiving 2012."

In a prepared statement, Pérez said he asked Assembly Rules Chair Nancy Skinner to form a task force to study ways to modernize the Assembly’s records policies.

"I am eager to receive the results of their work when we reconvene for next year’s legislative session," he said. "I have also listened to concerns from members in both parties about the need to modernize how the Assembly maintains and shares information."

According to the reports released Friday, Portantino was indeed the biggest spender in the Assembly so far this year, having spent $297,580.

Harkey, in addition to employee salaries, also spent money on travel ($9,814), gas ($1,069), rent and utilities for district offices ($33,144), telephones ($1,925), postage ($1,683), freight ($131) and communications ($3,352).

She spent zilch, however, on car leases, car maintenance and telegraphs (the latter is an actual line item in the reports).

As for Wyland, he spent $773,638 on staffer salaries, $19,275 on travel, $4,214 on auto rentals, $91,497 on district building expenses, $3,420 on telephones, $13,158 on postage and $549 on freight.