Legislative leaders agreed to tuck away $18,000 to send lawmakers on a unique "sister state" excursion to the Liaoning Province, hoping to bolster economic ties and strengthen diplomatic relations.

Lawmakers tout the Liaoning trip as a foray into the global economy but some have questioned the planning, goals and cost of the "trade mission."

The airfare alone exceeds the budget, even though lawmakers will fly coach and make three stops before reaching Liaoning on July 6.

Flights booked Wednesday through Delta and China Air cost $23,000 for 14 legislators and another $3,000 for two staffers who also are going on the trip, according to Mike Christensen, director of the Legislature's research arm.

Christensen, who is organizing the eight-day visit, said lawmakers will spend $9,000 on hotel rooms. Chinese officials will pay for ground transportation and food.

"They are covering virtually everything else," said Christensen, who will be going on the trip.

The costs went up because legislative leaders decided to expand the delegation from 10 to 14 and pushed the trip back from May to July, which is the tourist season.

Republican leaders said any additional cost will come out of existing legislative funds. In essence, they will travel less and participate in fewer national conferences for the rest of the fiscal year.

House Majority Leader David Clark, who is leading the trip with Senate Majority Leader Curtis Bramble, said the extra cost will be worth it if lawmakers are able to "plant enough seeds" that sprout into new avenues of trade.

But some lawmakers remain skeptical.

Holladay Democratic Rep. Carol Spackman Moss planned to go to China, but has since backed out.

"If I couldn't justify it to myself or my friends, then it wasn't worth it," she said. "I'm not comfortable going without some clear-cut objectives."

Moss echoes the concerns Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay, has voiced since the trip was first discussed publicly earlier this year. The two Democrats are not the only critics.

Mike Jerman of the conservative Utah Taxpayers Association questions the trip's legitimacy, but said he is "withholding judgment" in the hopes Republican leaders will more fully articulate what taxpayers get for funding the diplomatic mission.

He also questions why it takes 14 legislators, more than 10 percent of the full Legislature, to establish ties with Liaoning.

"That is a huge delegation," Jerman said.

Clark, Bramble and others - including Democratic Rep. Neil Hansen and Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich - bristle at such criticism. When the trip was first announced in March, they struggled to define their goals. Since then, they have tried to add more detail, focusing almost exclusively on trade possibilities.

"I wonder if we would be more derelict in our duty if we did not take the opportunity to promote the economic vitality of our state," Clark said.

He is one of the legislators who considers the trip a trade mission though it does not resemble the excursions previously led by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

The governor escorted delegations to Mexico, China and most recently Toronto. He is also planning a trip to India. He paid his way each time because "he never wants to be seen as taking any trip that may be perceived as a junket," said Huntsman's spokesman Mike Mower.

Huntsman said the legislative trip could help open the state to a growing global market, but he still distances himself from the "sister state" relationship.

"The Legislature will have to decide what is best for them and certainly justify taxpayer expenses," he said.

On each governor-led trip, executives from Utah companies tagged along making direct contacts in the foreign countries at meetings organized by the Governor's Office of Economic Development.

Legislators are not drawing on the expertise of the governor's staff, which includes a person responsible for making ties to China.

And originally, lawmakers had no plans to invite businesses.

"That is probably a good idea," said House Speaker Greg Curtis, who is not going to Liaoning. "I don't know if that is being actively discussed."

Businesses and their lobbyists have pushed the issue with lawmakers and have since been given an open invitation, but no one has signed up just yet.

Kerry Casaday, who creates industrial packaging for NuSkin's personal care products at his Salt Lake City plant, may join lawmakers.

He first went to China in 2004 with a group led by the state's economic development experts and he believes a return trip will boost his exports.

"I think it will be very fruitful," he said.

If businesses don't sign up, Bramble suggests lawmakers may make a return trip to Liaoning.

"A traditional trade mission with business leaders would be a natural follow-up," said the Senate majority leader.

Bramble and Clark point out this trip isn't all about trade. In part, they are simply reciprocating for trips Liaoning officials have made to Utah, including a quick visit last year.

They plan to discuss educational exchanges and learn about Chinese culture. But at least one lawmaker isn't going for the art, food or history.

"We might be able to find something to bring economic development here in Ogden," said Hansen, who represents the northern Utah city.

He is but one of the lawmakers who will look for opportunities for their own legislative districts. Dmitrich hopes to connect mine safety companies from Price with miners in China. Clark said he will act as a representative for businesses from southern Utah, including a small manufacturer that exports electronic switches.

Clark said it is up to lawmakers to defend the taxpayer money they spend, including the money that exceeds what they originally set aside. Participating legislators will make a report to a committee when they return.

But he warns that real results will take some time since business deals may develop slowly.

"I don't think it matters if it is $1 less or $10,000 more, at the end of the trip we have to determine if it was worth it for the first dollar to the last dollar," Clark said.

mcanham@sltrib.com

* Past contacts were not a huge success.