Juneau -- Senator Lyda Green (District N, Matanuska-Susitna Valley) will direct the Alaska State Senate's work to write the fiscal year 2000 budgets for the state's top two business-oriented departments, Senate Finance Committee Co-Chair Senator Sean Parnell announced today.

Senator Green, who serves on the Senate Finance Committee in the Twenty-First Alaska Legislature, was named chair of the subcommittees responsible for holding hearings and developing budget recommendations for the Department of Commerce and Economic Development, and the Department of Labor. She also serves as a member of the Department of Administration subcommittee.

"This is a significant achievement for the Matanuska-Susitna Valley," Senator Green said. "We are the fastest-growing part of the state, with a rapidly-expanding private sector. I'm pleased with the opportunity to help write a budget that can balance the people's needs with the realities of sharply reduced state revenues."

The low price of North Slope crude oil means a $1 billion-plus gap between state income and state expenditures for fiscal year 2000. Last year, the Department of Commerce and Economic Development had a budget of $70.4 million, and employed 343. The Department of Labor had a budget of $57.5 million, and employed 564 people.

"As subcommittee chair I'll be responsible for detail work of writing the budget for these departments," Senator Green said. "That includes reviewing funding requests from agencies, hearing testimony from department staff, and developing budget recommendations for the full committee to consider."

In addition to her subcommittee assignments, Senator Green serves as Vice Chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee, and as a member of the Senate Resources Committee.

"We're fortunate to have such an experienced legislator helping us make the tough decisions regarding our budget," said Senator Parnell. "We have to make some hard choices about how the state should best use our financial resources."

Full Senate Finance Subcommittee List