Alaska State Legislature
News from the Office of Representative Scott Ogan

Representative Scott Ogan
State Capital, Room 128
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
ph: (907) 465-3878 fax: (907) 465-3265
toll free: (800) 862-3878
web site: www.akrepublicans.org/Ogan.htm

Ogan Says Rhetoric is No Solution

For Immediate Release: February 19, 1998 Contact: Representative Scott Ogan at (907) 465-3878.

Juneau - In a response to the warning issued by Senator Ted Stevens to the House and Senate Representative Scott Ogan called for less talk and more action. "The leadership is doing everything within our legal power to bring Alaskans together. Threats and posturing are counter-productive. It was a federal law that divided Alaska and it will take an amendment to that law to bring us back together. We are working to provide a consensus for such an amendment for our congressional delegation. Those interested in a constructive solution will end the rhetoric. We are encouraged by Senator Murkowski’s leadership in working with us and hope all the delegation can do the same."

Ogan has been working to develop consensus for the last four months and has brought several new agreements to the table to build what he calls an Alaska first consensus. "I have met with outdoor leaders in the urban areas. They are willing to work on strengthening the trust with rural areas. They have agreed to consider supporting more rural influence on fish and game decisions important to rural areas. They have also agreed to consider Regional Boards and to encourage the Department to manage for abundance to provide the resources necessary for subsistence," said Ogan.

Ogan feels the key to constructing a workable system of allocation during times of shortage is to find one that works at the village level. "If rural leaders can help design a system that can be fairly used at the village level it may be the model we need for the state. Senator Stevens and the Governor have been trying to dictate from the top down. I am trying to build from the grassroots upward. It is our only hope for a unifying solution to this federal division of our state," said Ogan.

Ogan who Co-Chairs the House Resources Committee, has introduced HB-406 to offer what he says will be the best possible state solution legally obtainable by the legislature. Ogan reminds those who still push for a constitutional amendment that equal protection, like the right to freedom of the press can not be placed on the ballot or changed by a vote of the people. He cites a recent Colorado Supreme Court decision which overturned a anti-gay rights public approved initiative proclaiming "Equality is not a votable issue." Ogan says no one has produced a shred of evidence of any court allowing a vote on equal protection. He points to a previous legislature’s embarassment when they tried to grant a priority certain PFD recipients. "The courts agreed with Zoble. Any attempt to change the equal protection rights of Alaskans by ballot would suffer the same fate," said Ogan.