(ANCHORAGE) - The Legislative Leadership will poll the members of the House and Senate on the question of holding a special session to address Governor Murkowski's elimination of the Longevity Bonus Program funding, as requested by the Democratic minority.

"I do not expect the polling to produce a two-thirds affirmative vote, so I don't think we will see any such special session," said House Rules Chair Norman Rokeberg (R-Anchorage). "However, in accordance with Alaska law, the House Speaker and the Senate President have begun the process."

According to information supplied by the Legislative Affairs Agency, the cost of a special session runs a minimum of $25,000 per day, plus $50,000 in travel costs. As Governor Murkowski's action was an appropriation veto, 45 affirmative votes would be needed to override the veto.

"Special sessions have not had a sterling track record for achieving real solutions to Alaska's problems," commented Speaker Pete Kott. "The many special sessions on subsistence are a case in point."

Although the Senate passed an accelerated five-year phase out program endorsed by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Pioneers of Alaska, the House failed to concur, which left the current program in place. This resulted in the Governor's veto.

In order to help offset the negative impact of the elimination of the Longevity Bonus, the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee voted Wed., July 9, 2003, to use a $10 million Federal Tax Relief Grant to provide benefit checks to needy seniors and to supply funds to communities across the state affected by the closing of the Revenue Sharing and Safe Communities Program.

"I know that there are seniors who were hit hard when the Longevity Bonus Program ended," said Rep. Ralph Samuels, Chair of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee. "We aren't able to replace that program, but this money will allow seniors who most depend on money from the program to receive monthly checks for the next ten months to help bridge the gap."

This substitute program funded by the federal grant and delivered by the Department of Health and Social Services will provide $120 per month to any qualified, low-income senior over the age of 65. The program starts in September, after the last Longevity Bonus check is delivered in August, and runs until June 2004. In addition, there are other state programs to help offset the decrease in income for which many of the seniors most in need will be qualified.

"I think it is instructive to revisit the original purpose behind the Longevity Bonus program," Rokeberg said. "It was a way to provide a modest 'thank you' to those who were in Alaska before statehood and helped build the state. It was never intended to be the 'free-for-all' it became after the court cases of the 1980s. Indeed, if the Legislature had not taken steps in 1994 to curtail its growth, it would have cost well over $100 million in recent years."

The new program is set up to aid every needy senior over the age of 65, whereas the Longevity Bonus Program only helped those who qualified before January 1997.

"The Governor's transition program will go from September through June. The Legislature convenes in January for a regular 121-day session, and can easily address any concerns that may remain with the program at that time," said Samuels. "If it is not working, and I am sure legislators will have had many conversations with our constituents about it by that time, we will have the opportunity to fix it in a thoughtful, public process."

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