Friday, July 24, 2009 | 4:07 p.m.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida has filed two bills that would make it unlawful for federal agencies to blacklist certain cities as sites for conferences just because they're popular resort destinations.
Nelson filed the bills Friday. He says some federal agencies have blacklisted popular destinations like Orlando and Las Vegas because of perceptions that people go there to have fun as opposed to doing work.
Nelson says that Senate Majority Leader Harry Leader Harry Reid of Nevada also is concerned about reports of the blacklist.
The first bill is an amendment to the agricultural appropriations bill. The second bill will be added to tourism promotion legislation.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that it viewed a May e-mail from an FBI employee obtained by the U.S. Travel Association that read The Department of Justice "decided conference[s] are not to be held in cities that are vacation destinations/spa/resort/gambling. Las Vegas and Orland[o] are the first 2 on the chopping block."
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