Records show that while at a legislative conference in New York, Houston Sen. Rodney Ellis billed taxpayers for two nights at the Ritz Carlton, at a rate of $495 per night. Meanwhile, other travel vouchers show that other state senators attending the same conference stayed at the Marriot Marquis, the conference hotel, for $196 per night.

Ellis pointed out that he only billed taxpayers for two of the four nights he stayed there, and paid the remainder himself. The other Senators billed taxpayers for four nights at the Marriott, so the taxpayer total was roughly equal for the entire group.

“I do pay attention to cost,” Ellis said. “That’s the whole reason that I paid half of the bill myself.”