We all know that Rick Perry spends a heck of a lot of time outside of Texas, including, most recently, possibly running for president AND WE PAY SECURITY COSTS FOR HIM. Blah. Bill introduced to stop these abuses. (Texas Tribune)

A Republican state legislator, Rep. Lyle Larson of San Antonio, wants to ensure this doesn’t happen again. On Wednesday, he argued in a state House committee for legislation that would require elected officials to reimburse the treasury for any out-of-state travel coststhat aren’t related to “official state business" — including those stemming from security. 

“I think you lead by example,” Larson said. “If you’re going to have conservative government, but you’ve got a security detail, and travel expenses for that security detail [are] picked up by the state, and it’s strictly political activity, there's no value for the state. Then they should reimburse regardless of what party affiliation.” 

Larson, who tried to pass the bill last session but encountered blowback from Perry over the wording of it, said he’s not singling out the longest-serving governor in Texas history.

He noted that former Gov. George W. Bush, whose state security spending hit about $4 million while he was running for president in 1999 and 2000, along with his Democratic predecessor, Ann Richards, both spent a lot of time outside Texas attending events that were not always official state business.