The Democratic Party of Arkansas will provide $250 travel subsidies to four Bernie Sanders supporters, the same amount of assistance that was provided to others attending last week's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Three Sanders delegates from Russellville -- Cherry To, Teresa Gallegos and Jason Thompson -- will each receive the funds, party spokesman H.L. Moody said.

A pro-Sanders Democratic National Convention rules committee member who had received reimbursements for $40, Amanda Kennedy of Greenbrier, will get another $210, he added.

Checks will be prepared later this week. "We're going to put it in the mail no later than Friday so hopefully they'll have it by Monday," Moody said.

The other delegates, with one exception, were beneficiaries of subsidized air travel, not subsidized rooms, he noted.

"This is really us bending over backwards making sure that these folks were treated fairly and feel like they were treated fairly," Moody said.

Some of the Sanders delegates slept four to a room in the state party's hotel, where rooms were more than $400 per night, splitting the lodging costs to make it more affordable. They also carpooled, riding up to 2,500 miles round trip, to lower the cost of the six-day trip.

But when they requested the $250 subsidy that was provided to others, they were initially rejected.

In an interview last week, state party Chairman Vince Insalaco said Sanders supporters had failed to document that they'd spent $250 each on the convention.

"We had to make sure that they actually had the expense," he said. "They could be sleeping in their car. ... I can't just hand over cash. It's not legal."

Kennedy, who cleans houses to supplement her income, said party officials arranged for the accommodations at the four-diamond hotel and were aware of the room rates charged to the guests.

With the temperature hitting 100 degrees that week in Philadelphia, no one slept in their cars, she said.

Officials had promised the aid but hadn't delivered, she said Tuesday.

"We were given the runaround, really," she said. "A lot of us just gave up."

To, a 65-year-old immigrant from Taiwan, said she took a 48-hour road trip so she could lower travel costs.

"We had to watch our money," she said Tuesday.

"Bernie people, they are really not rich. They don't drive good cars. ... Ninety-nine percent of the people are really poor," she said.

Told Wednesday that the party would provide the subsidies, Kennedy said it was the appropriate decision.

"I'm glad they're paying up now. I think it's the right thing," she said.

A Section on 08/04/2016