March

03-31-99

1. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Sean Parnell, comments: "Committee members are working with some of the world’s best experts to tell us how to preserve and protect the Permanent Fund for future generations. That’s got to be part of any long-range financial plan we develop this session--and we’re working with the best people to do that."
   = Sean Parnell, 21 K
2. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator John Torgerson, reports on Wednesday's hearing in Senate Finance. The Committee heard from the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, as well as an expert on investing and protecting the state’s major savings account. As the legislature grapples with ways to address a $1.2 billion dollar budget shortfall, the Finance Committee continues to hear from financial experts on tools necessary for crafting a long-term, sustainable financial plan for the state.
   = John Torgerson, 61 K
3. Senate President, Senator Drue Pearce, explains her motivations for introducing SCR 7. The measure urges Governor Tony Knowles to withdraw his request for a referral of the Tulsequah Chief Mine in British Columbia to the International Joint Commission, which mediates border disputes between the U.S. and Canada. The resolution, moved by the Senate Resources Committee Wednesday, further expresses Alaska's support for the environmentally responsible development of the project.
   = Drue Pearce, 92 K
4. Representative Lisa Murkowski describes consumer protection legislation she sponsored. The measure provides comprehensive consumer protection laws regulating the fast-growing rental-purchase business.
   = Lisa Murkowski, 57 K

03-30-99

1. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator John Torgerson, gives an overview of the Senate Finance Committee's recent hearings on long-term fiscal plan proposals.
   = John Torgerson, 125 K
2. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Sean Parnell, details upcoming plans for the Senate Finance Committee. He announces that it is the responsibility to present a long-range fiscal plan to the public
   = Sean Parnell, 28 K
3. House Oil and Gas Committee Chairman, Representative Jim Whitaker, announces his proposal to create a State owned entity called the Alaska Gas Corporation. This would be the first step toward establishing a natural gas pipeline project from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. Rep. Whitaker details some of the specifics of his proposal.
   = Jim Whitaker, 55 K
4. Representative Whitaker describes his motivations for introducting legislation to create the Alaska Gas Corporation.
   = Jim Whitaker, 14 K
5. Representative Whitaker further comments and details the specifics of how his proposed Alaska Gas Corporation would function.
   = Jim Whitaker, 59 K

03-29-99

1. Senator Jerry Ward comments on his motivations for introducing SB 46. The measure will rename a remodeled building behind the Capitol the Terry Miller Legislative Office Building.
   = Jerry Ward, 26 K

03-26-99

1. Representative Jeannette James comments on the House's passage of her HB 112. The measure would establish the Alaska Public Building Fund, which would be used to help pay for maintenance and other costs of state-owned facilities.
   = Jeannette James, 112 K

03-25-99

1. Representative Gail Phillips comments on the House passing her HJR 28. The measure calls on Congress to give the National Marine Fisheries Service authority to regulate the harvest of Belugas until the population has recovered.
   = Gail Phillips, 83 K

03-24-99

1. Representative Norman Rokeberg comments on the House passing his HB 123. The measure would exempt volunteer ski patrollers from minimum wage and overtime compensation requirements and clarify the law regarding exemptions for nonprofit organization volunteers.
   = Norman Rokeberg, 59 K
2. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator John Torgerson, discusses important goals in the Majority's fiscal plan. Defensible assumptions are amongst the most important of those goals.
   = John Torgerson, 27 K
3. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Sean Parnell, comments that money saved today towards closing Alaska's fiscal gap is worth millions in the future.
   = Sean Parnell, 41 K
4. Senator Robin Taylor details his motivations for introducing SJR 19 Wednesday. The measure would separate administrative hearing officer functions away from the State bureaucracies that now employ them.
   = Robin Taylor, 21 K
5. Senator Jerry Ward describes the effects of a resolution he sponsored that passed the Senate Wednesday. SJR 8 opposes the use of random sampling techniques or other statistical methods of counting Alaskans during our next census.
   = Jerry Ward, 17 K

03-23-99

1. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Sean Parnell, discusses how the Finance Committees cannot build a fiscal plan that depends upon oil revenues. Peter Bogin, from Cambridge Energy Research Associates, and Douglas M. MacIntyre from the U.S. Department of Energy are nationally recognized energy experts who both told a joint meeting of the House and Senate Finance Committees that the days of easy oil money are gone.
   = Sean Parnell, 23 K
2. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator John Torgerson, comments on the long-range revenue projections for Alaska's oil income and how this impacts the budget process.
   = John Torgerson, 66 K
3. House Finance Co-Chair, Representative Gene Therriault, explains that immediate and long-term oil price prospects are forcing tough budget decisions. Low prices and declining production numbers dictate a budget that relies far less on oil revenue than in the past.
   = Gene Therriault, 31 K
4. House Finance Co-Chair, Representative Eldon Mulder, discusses the bad and good news delivered by national energy experts Tuesday during a Joint House and Senate Finance Committee meeting. While oil prices have likely bottomed out short-term, the North Slope's declining oil production figures point to new budget realities.
   = Eldon Mulder, 77 K
5. Representative Joe Green says he is encouraged by information presented in Tuesday's Joint House and Senate Finance Committee meeting by national energy experts. While oil prices are currently very low, Mr. Peter Bogin, from Cambridge Energy Research Associates, and Douglas M. MacIntyre from the U.S. Department of Energy are nationally recognized energy experts who told Committee members that oil prices have likely bottomed out. Rep. Green goes on to speculate about the future of Alaska's oil industry and future gas projects.
   = Joe Green, 116 K
6. Representative Gail Phillips comments on how Alaska's oil industry will likely see very slight increases in oil prices long-term and how Alaska's budget process must take this into account. She goes on to talk about new oil production possibilities and how they could affect Alaska's bottom line.
   = Gail Phillips, 109 K

03-22-99

1. Senator Loren Leman describes the purpose behind his SB 27. The measure was passed by the Senate on Monday and seeks to guarantee parental access to important records on children, and also requires school districts to share information with other districts about potentially dangerous transfer students.
   = Loren Leman, 93 K
2. The Alaska Legislature is hosting a delegation of high-ranking Russian political leaders March 24-29 that will meet with public and private sector leaders and tour facilities in Anchorage, Juneau, and Kenai. Representative Ramona Barnes explains the details.
   = Ramona Barnes, 71 K
3. Representative Eldon Mulder defends legislation he sponsored in a floor speech today. The House unanimously passed his HJR 21 Monday. The measure asks the Federal Government to reform the selection and evaluation criteria used in any future military base closure actions.
   = Eldon Mulder, 86 K
4. Representative Eldon Mulder further comments on HJR 21.
   = Eldon Mulder, 55 K

03-19-99

1. Senate Majority Leader, Senator Jerry Mackie, expresses his satisfaction and pleasure that Governor Knowles Friday signed into law today new protections in Alaska's Forest Practices Act. SB 12 strengthens stream and water quality protections for Alaska's coastal forest areas.
   = Jerry Mackie, 28 K
2. House Finance Co-Chair, Representative Gene Therriault, comments on a Minority sponsored press conference today where they discussed their concerns over the way the budget process is going. Rep. Therriault's floor speech noted that the Minorities' actions raise more questions than they answer.
   = Gene Therriault, 109 K

03-18-99

1. Senate Rules Chair, Senator Tim Kelly, explains his motivations for introducing SB 99. The measure seeks to end discrimination against members of the Armed Forces in legislative redistricting and insure that future redistricting plans are based on census figures derived from an actual count of every Alaskan.
   = Tim Kelly, 18 K
2. Senator Jerry Ward comments on legislation he sponsored, SJR 14, that would amend the State Constitution to make the Attorney General post an elected position.
   = Jerry Ward, 35 K

03-17-99

1. Representative Gene Therriault urges House members for a favorable vote on HJR 13 during a floor speech. The legislation calls for a long-term "research and monitoring" endowment using $115 million from the expected reserve of Exxon Valdez oil spill settlement funds.
   = Gene Therriault, 80 K
2. Representative Gail Phillips defends her resolution, HJR 11, during a floor speech urging Congress and the White House to open the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration.
   = Gail Phillips, 111 K
3. Senator Drue Pearce explains in detail the reasons behind her withdrawing her support for the Anchorage International Airport Expansion Project. This project is the largest single public project ever funded by the State of Alaska.
   = Drue Pearce, 181 K
4. Senator Jerry Ward explains his reasons for proposing his "Parolee Pay" program, SB 108. The measure would charge inmates for their parole and probation supervision costs. Currently, the cost to the state is over $8.5 million dollars annually.
   = Jerry Ward, 17 K

03-16-99

1. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Sean Parnell, comments on the Senate's concurrence on changes made to the Supplemental Budget in Conference Committee.
   = Sean Parnell, 38 K
2. Representative Carl Morgan defends and urges members to vote for his measure during a floor speech Tuesday. HB 93 permits refinancing of Alaska Housing Finance Corporation rural home loans in the same manner any conventional mortgage allows.
   = Carl Morgan, 49 K
3. House Finance Co-Chair, Representative Eldon Mulder, comments on the House's concurrence on changes made to the Supplemental Budget in Conference Committee.
   = Eldon Mulder, 87 K

03-15-99

1. In a speech to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Monday, Senate President Drue Pearce announced the Senate Republican Majority's goal to reduce state spending next year by $300 million.
   = Drue Pearce, 25 K
2. Representative Carl Morgan defends his HB 80 during floor action Monday. The measure would establish an enlistment and retention incentive for the Alaska National Guard.
   = Carl Morgan, 26 K

03-14-99

1. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator John Torgerson, talks about the passage of HB 100, this fiscal year's Supplemental Budget from the Senate Sunday afternoon. "We worked through the Governor's original supplemental request and found items that were not necessary or were largely over-funded," said Senator Torgerson. "Each dollar spent in the Supplemental Budget is one dollar out of the State's savings account. By tightening the strings now, we'll have more money and more flexibility to shape a long-term funding solution later."
   = John Torgerson, 30 K
2. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Sean Parnell, comments on the passage of HB 100 from the Senate Sunday afternoon. "We chose to keep the pressure on the Democratic Leadership for more current year budget cuts rather than writing them a 'blank check'," said Senator Parnell.
   = Sean Parnell, 24 K

03-12-99

1. Senate State Affairs Committee Chairman, Senator Jerry Ward, vows to find out what's wrong at Alaska's Pioneers Homes and "fix it," following a Senate State Affairs Committee hearing yesterday on the care given to seniors at Pioneers Homes.
   = Jerry Ward, 72 K
2. Senator Lyda Green also comments on her concerns about senior care at Alaska's Pioneers Homes.
   = Lyda Green, 52 K
3. Senator Rick Halford discusses the passage of his SJR 5 from the House Friday. The measure opposes the National Park Service's (NPS) recent closure of two million acres of Denali National Park and Preserve to snowmachine use.
   = Rick Halford, 25 K
4. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Sean Parnell, talks about the passage of HB 100, this fiscal year's Supplemental Budget from the Senate Finance Committee Friday evening. "Our original spending plan included $16.5 million dollars for unanticipated and extraordinary expenses." Parnell said, "We were able to cut that by $3.3 million."
   = Sean Parnell, 24 K
5. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator John Torgerson, comments on the passage of HB 100 from the Senate Finance Committee Friday evening. The measure is this fiscal year's Supplemental Budget. "In my memory, this is one of the lowest supplemental budgets that has been passed in recent years," said Torgerson.
   = John Torgerson, 20 K

03-11-99

1. House Finance Co-Chair, Representative Eldon Mulder defends and urges the passage of HB 100 during today's floor session. The bill, which contains the FY 99 Supplemental Budget, passed the House Floor Thursday on a 24 - 7 vote. The measure decreases State spending $1.5 million below the level authorized for the entire fiscal year.
   = Eldon Mulder, 35 K
2. Representative Mulder continues his comments
   = Eldon Mulder, 67 K
3. Representative Norman Rokeberg discusses his tobacco litigation package, companion bills HB 21 and HB 37. The former allocates the State's share of the recent settlement with tobacco companies 1/2 to medical assistance for the needy and 1/2 for tobacco education and cessation programs and for smokers' health screening. The latter, HB 37, adds smoking education and cessation program to the list of public health and social services programs administered by the Dept. of Health and Social Services.
   = Norman Rokeberg, 57 K
4. Representative Rokeberg further comments.
   = Norman Rokeberg, 32 K
5. House Finance Co-Chair, Representative Gene Therriault, discusses his proposal to privatize and consolidation of Alaska's tourism marketing efforts. HB 136 would repeal the Alaska Tourism Marketing Council and reduce the size of the Division of Tourism. It directs the division to award a contract to a single, qualified trade association. That association is required to provide a 30% match to the State's dollars in the first year of implementation. The match goes up to 60% in year three.
   = Gene Therriault, 58 K
6. Representative Vic Kohring discusses his opposition to funding rural electrical rate subsidies and the findings by the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Power Cost Equalization. Rep. Kohring talks about his alternative plan to develop an infrastructure to create self-sufficiency.
   = Vic Kohring, 77 K
7. Senator Jerry Ward, chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee, talks about his public hearing on the State-run Pioneer Homes. The Pioneer Homes have been the subject of numerous complaints and questions regarding how the homes are operated and the safety of their residents.
   = Jerry Ward, 50 K

03-10-99

1. Senator Jerry Ward expresses his opposition and motivations for introducing SJR 8. The measure urges the federal government to not use statistical methods during our country's next census.
   = Jerry Ward, 13 K

03-09-99

1. House Finance Co-Chair, Representative Eldon Mulder discusses the Finance Committee's actions in the passage of HB 100 from Committee Tuesday. The measure is this year's supplemental bill. The bill funds emergency situations, disasters, and other items which occur but cannot be predicted during FY 99 (June 30, 1998 through June 30, 1999).
   = Eldon Mulder, 69 K

03-08-99

1. Representative Lisa Murkowski talks about the Legislature's newly formed Joint Committee on Military Bases and its mission.
   = Lisa Murkowski, 81 K
2. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Sean Parnell, discusses the Senate Finance Committee's plans for the Constitutional Budget Reserve draw this week.
   = Sean Parnell, 18 K

03-05-99

1. Senator Loren Leman relates his motivations in introducing SJR 15 today. The measure will provide increased accountability from state judges and change the process for filling judicial vacancies. "The role of the court system in Alaska government has changed in recent years, and this change has not been for the better," stated Senator Leman. "Increasingly, state judges have abandoned their constitutional role as interpreters of the law, and are instead beginning to write the law.
   = Loren Leman, 78 K
2. Senator Dave Donley comments on Senator Leman's Judicial Accountability measure, SJR 15. Senator Donley noted that the Supreme Court's Bess v. Ulmer decision last year provides a vivid example of why judicial reform is needed, "In the Bess decision, the Supreme Court denied the people of Alaska their right to vote on a constitutional amendment related to prisoners' rights, without even allowing the parties to brief the issue.
   = Dave Donley, 152 K
3. Representative Jeannette James, sponsor of HB 12, comments on its passage from the Alaska House of Representatives Friday. The measure reauthorizes the identification of a corridor for the extension of the Alaska Railroad to the Canadian border and allows eventual funding from any source, private or public.
   = Jeannette James, 31 K
4. Freshman Representative John Harris discusses his Tobacco Settlement bill, which the House passed Friday. The measure, HJR 12, asks the federal government to abandon its announced intention to take some of the billions of dollars Alaska and other states will receive from a huge settlement with tobacco companies.
   = John Harris, 93 K
5. Representative Vic Kohring defends his School Voucher measure, HB 5, from charges it would make K-12 education more expensive in Alaska.
   = Vic Kohring, 58 K
6. Representative Vic Kohring explains his motivations for introducing HB 4. The measure would eliminate Daylight Savings Time in Alaska.
   = Vic Kohring, 82 K

03-04-99

1. Senator Jerry Mackie discusses his support for Governor Knowles' lawsuit against the Federal Government to resolve jurisdictional conflicts in Glacier Bay. The lawsuit seeks to prove the State of Alaska has ownership of the submerged lands and tidelands of the Bay.
   = Jerry Mackie, 68 K
2. Senator Leman comments on his proposed amendments to the new law that permits use of marijuana for medical purposes. The "Medical Marijuana" initiative passed by popular vote last November and takes effect today.
   = Loren Leman, 59 K
3. Senator Jerry Ward discusses his resolution declaring March as "Sobriety Awareness Month."
   = Jerry Ward, 48 K

03-03-99

1. Senate Majority Leader, Senator Jerry Mackie, reflects on the concensus building process evident in the passage of SB 12 from the Legislature today. The measure increases protections in the Alaska Forest Practices Act for water quality and fish habitat in Alaska's coastal rivers. It also further defines the buffer zones that must be maintained in timber harvest areas.
   = Jerry Mackie, 51 K

| Top | Home |