Governor taking staff to LV for lectures on casinos

Thursday, April 14, 2005 | 9:35 a.m.

DENVER -- Gov. Bill Owens and top members of his staff are going to Las Vegas this weekend for a conference on gambling less than two weeks after he chaired a summit in Denver on the same subject, his spokesman said Wednesday.

Besides Owens, staff members invited on the trip include chief of staff Bob Lee, spokesman Dan Hopkins, legislative lobbyists Chris Castilian and Rachel Nance, and budget director Henry Sobanet. All were given commercial airline tickets and accommodations at the Venetian, a swank hotel on the Las Vegas strip.

There was no estimate of how much the trip costs, but Hopkins said a taxpayer's group, the Taxpayers Network, is paying for the trip, including air fare. Two Republican lawmakers, Rep. Nancy Spence and Rep. Diane Hoppe, also were invited, but they paid their own way. Hoppe said she paid $423 for round-trip airfare and $115 per night at the Venetian.

The network, based in Cedarburg, Wis., describes itself as a nonprofit social welfare organization founded in 1992 with the mission of educating the public about American government and public policy. Network officials did not return phone messages seeking comment.

Hopkins said the trip is justified because the governor is speaking to the group on Friday night about Indian gambling. Hopkins said the trip offers an opportunity for staff to learn about the issue.