We commend Gov. Eric Greitens for saving taxpayer money on his air travel, while also joining the calls for disclosure of who's funding the airfare.
The Associated Press reported the new Missouri governor is not using the state plane, instead relying on private donors and campaign funds to pay for his flights.
Since replacing Jay Nixon as governor in January, Greitens has not flown on a state plane, AP reported. That's a big departure from Nixon, who frequently used state planes and was at times criticized for the practice.
Greitens' Chief of Staff Michael Roche says the governor is committed to spending as little of the taxpayers' money as possible on travel, AP reported.
We appreciate the thrifty mentality and his stewardship of taxpayer dollars. But it also begs the question: Who is paying for the airplane trips?
Campaign funds were used for a recent commercial airplane flight to Washington, and a private plane was used for ceremonial bill signings in southern Missouri.
Using campaign funds triggers disclosure through campaign reports. But trips paid by other entities might not need to be reported.
Democrats already have criticized Greitens for not disclosing the sources of funding for his airplane travel.
Greitens' first act in office was to ban lobbyist gifts to executive branch employees.
"We promised that we were going to clean up the culture of corruption in Jefferson City. As governor, I will always hold myself and my team to the highest possible standard," Greitens said.
Likewise, that high standard should include disclosing information about his air travel.
There's nothing necessarily wrong with private donors paying the bills, but Missourians deserve to know the cost and source of funding for each flight.
Missouri is the "Show Me State," and the governor should show his commitment to being transparent.