Updated: 12/1/2005

FREE TRANSPORT: Huckabee and family got it for this marathon run.

Gov. Mike Huckabee is still flying high on the taxpayers' dime and refusing to provide details about it, claiming security interests.

The Arkansas Times first reported Nov. 3 about his use of the State Police's twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 200. He has used it several times since.

From Oct. 22 to Nov. 10 he used the plane to fly to Atlanta, Charlotte, twice to Dallas and three times to Washington, D.C. On one of those trips, Huckabee and his wife, son and daughter-in-law traveled to and from Washington so Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee could participate in the Marine Corps marathon.

Huckabee will not answer questions about how or why he decides to use the State Police plane for almost all of his out-of-state travel, which includes about 40 trips in 2005. "Whether we are talking in general or about specifics, when it is a matter of travel it is a security issue and we're not going to comment," said Huckabee press secretary Alice Stewart. It is unclear what security concerns exist after a trip, but Stewart won't discuss that either.

State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said the department has "no recollection or record" of Huckabee ever reimbursing the department for his use of its aircraft

A schedule released by Huckabee's office says he is to be in Carlsbad, Calif., for a Republican Governors Association meeting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, New York City to receive an award on Dec. 5 and Greensboro, N.C., to deliver a speech on Dec. 6. His office would not say if Huckabee will use the State Police plane for those trips.

Sadler said Huckabee's use of the plane is governed by Section 12-8-108(a) of the Arkansas Code, which says, "The Department of Arkansas State Police shall be responsible for the safety and security of the: (1) Governor and his or her family." It makes no specific provision for use of the plane to transport the governor, an expense worth thousands of dollars for every trip at private industry prices.

Also, Chapter 17 of the State Police Field Operations Policy and Procedure Manual refers to the department's aircraft. Among the approved uses other than for law enforcement operations is "transportation of other state officials in the performance of official state business."

The same chapter stipulates "the determination of whether a situation warrants the use of ASP aircraft shall be made by ASP field supervisors. (The Commander of the Executive Protection Unit may also schedule and request ASP aircraft for use by the Governor.)"

According to the manual, State Police flights must adhere to Federal Aviation Regulations, which in the case of the King Air 200 are found in Part 91.

In South Dakota, Democratic state legislators have asked the Federal Aviation Administration whether their governor's use of a King Air 200 complies with Part 91.

The Argus Leader, South Dakota's largest newspaper, reported in September that Gov. Mike Rounds "sometimes uses the state airplane to travel to high school athletic contests and other non-public events, often taking family members and friends along. Rounds said state law allows him to pay for nonpublic use of the state-owned airplanes. He said he usually uses either his campaign fund or a Governor's Club fund created by donors to the state Republican Party to reimburse the state for those trips."

In a survey of public aircraft policies in 49 states, the Argus Leader found mat most states clearly prohibit use of state-owned planes for personal or political travel. For Arkansas the newspaper quoted Rex Nelson, Huckabee's former communications director, as saying, "He doesn't use the airplane for personal trips. Occasionally, there's a day when official business travel is mixed with politics."

There is bi-partisan support among South Dakota lawmakers for examination of the use of the state airplane by Rounds, who is a Republican.