HARRISBURG (TNS) — A Republican lawmaker on Monday revisited questions about the Shapiro administration’s use of taxpayer-funded airplane flights and raised new ones about spending on hospitality tickets and a “pre-championship golf outing” at the recent U.S. Open in Allegheny County.

In a June 17 letter obtained by the Post-Gazette, Sen. Jarrett Coleman of Lehigh County asked the administration for details on spending under a $1 million amendment made to a state grant support contract just before the high-profile golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Among items covered in the amendment, the letter said, was a “sponsorship” with an “outdoor seating area, hospitality tickets, parking passes and a pre-championship golf outing.”

The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee, chaired by Coleman, held a hearing Monday that focused mostly on the airplane flights. Mr. Coleman had questioned those during early March state budget hearings.

On Monday, he also mentioned new questions sent to the state Department of Community and Economic Development about what he described as the taxpayer-funded sponsorship at the golf tournament.

Coleman wants to know why the contract was amended less than two weeks before the tournament, as well as how many passes, tickets and golf outing slots DCED received. He also wants to know which employees and “external parties” got them, and he held out the possibility of hearings.

“We need to make sure this is consistent with the legislative intent of the sports marketing and tourism account. I look forward to DCED’s response,” he said.

DCED Press Secretary Justin Backover said Monday the agency had just received the Coleman letter and a response was not yet available.

During the hearing, Democrats criticized Coleman’s questioning. Democratic Sen. Christine Tartaglione of Philadelphia pointed out it was budget season, with top lawmakers in negotiations with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s team about his proposed $51.5 billion 2025-26 spending plan.

“What’s the rush about? What’s the emergency here?” Tartaglione said. “There is no scandal.”

Sen. Jay Costa of Allegheny County, the top Democrat in the Senate, referred jokingly to Mr. Coleman’s statements that the Shapiro administration’s use of airplanes might be less environmentally friendly than just riding in cars. Costa said, “I guess the governor could walk to some of these places and that would address both problems.”

Costa called Coleman’s pursuit of airplane information an “inquisition” and said, “I hope we can move forward and end this conversation.”

In early March, Coleman criticized what he described as the Shapiro administration’s lack of transparency on taxpayer-funded plane flights. He posted flight logs for state-owned aircraft on his website.

On Monday, testimony related to plane flights came from Pennsylvania State police Lt. Col. George Bivens and PennDOT Deputy Secretary Meredith Biggica. One focus of Coleman’s was a “settlement agreement” between state police and a private contractor, Let’s Go Air Inc., for a flight job that cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Bivens said the mid-January flights in question happened at a time when the governor’s office desired transportation for the governor but state police planes were not available. “We had no ability to transport him,” Lt. Col. Bivens said, and what followed was a “very quick turnaround” to set up charter flights.

Bivens said the settlement agreement that resulted from the situation was a legitimate use of the procurement process.

Coleman, a pilot himself, said the agreement had an “opaqueness” to it and was “very concerning.” He said he would continue to try to determine which individuals besides Mr. Shapiro were on the Let’s Go Air flights.