Pennsylvania fund spent thousands on travel

The Associated Press picks up a report from a Harrisburg, PA newspaper about out-of-state travel at the Public School Employees' Retirement System.

According to the Patriot-News, the system spend more than $200 thousand on 116 out-of-state trips over a seven year period.

Europe and Asia were among the places board members went on behalf of the Public School Employees' Retirement System, The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported Sunday.

The system, regarded as a top performer among the nation's public pension systems, received nearly $255 million in funding from the state's budget this year.

Last spring, the conference itinerary for the board's chairman, Williamsport teacher Roger May, included trips to Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, the Czech Republic and Russia.

Retirees benefit from the conferences, he said. He attributed the system's ability to hold down health benefit costs to the board's conference attendance.