Kinder questioned again about travel expenses

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4/ 5/2011: Radio Story - The Lieutenant Governor spent over 35,000 while visiting the St. Louis area

4/28/2011: Radio Story - Auditor Tom Schweich's office, a major recipient of Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's campaign donations a year ago, plans to audit Kinder's travel reimbursements.

Intro:	Almost a year after the Lieutenant Governor reimbursed the state for questionable travel expenses during the 2012 fiscal year, he proposed the same budget for 2013.
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Wrap: At a House Appropriations hearing Lieutenant Governor Kinder discussed his spending plans for the upcoming year, requesting the same $400,000 dollar budget he had last year.

A Democratic Representative asked if this meant he planned to spend more this year, since $60,000 of last year's budget had to be reimbursed.

Kinder says that's not the plan.

Actuality:	KINDER4.WAV
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Description: "We do not anticipate using more, I have an eight year record of using less than the taxpayers have allocated to my office. I stated in my testimony I'll be using less.

In the hearing Kinder never gave specific details as to why he is requesting the same amount.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Joe Chiodo

Intro:	The Lieutenant Governor took some heat Monday about his proposed budget for fiscal year 2013.
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Wrap: Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder is requesting $400,000 for the upcoming year's budget--matching what he had last year.

A democratic representative suggests it should be less though, since last year Kinder's campaign reimbursed the state for some travel expenses.

But Kinder says that's not the real story.

Actuality:	KINDER2.WAV
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Description: "The facts are it was not a campaign check. It was a personal check, voluntarily submitted, no legal obligation. Two audits have reviewed all of those expenses representative, and have found nothing to comment on."

Kinder says he has no plans to spend all of his budget, and never has.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Joe Chiodo.

Intro:	The Lieutenant Governor proposed the same budget for fiscal year 2013 as he had last year, causing some concern among representatives.
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Wrap: A democratic representative attacked Lieutenant Governor Kinder's 2013 budget proposal at a house appropriations hearing after Kinder announced it matched last years.

Kinder defends last year's travel expenses.

He says audits never commented and the reimbursement money came from his own pockets.

Actuality:	KINDER3.WAV
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Description: "Unlike the Governor, who wrote a campaign check, when the same auditor, nailed him on campaign use of an official vehicle, he got out of it with a campaign check. I got out of a roughly similar situation with a personal check."

One democratic representative says Nixon was wrong in using campaign money to reimburse the state.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Joe Chiodo.