(JUNEAU) - Alaskans who find themselves going through an administrative hearing process may see some positive changes in the near future, thanks to a cooperative effort between the Legislative majority and the governor's office.

Currently when a person or business owner wants to challenge an administrative regulation they must appeal to a hearing officer, who works for the department that implemented the regulation being appealed. Gov. Frank Murkowski has agreed to have his administration work with the Legislature in exploring new ways of making the regulation appeal process more fair, more efficient and less costly. One possible solution being looked at by Sen. Gene Therriault (R-North Pole) the chairman of the Administrative Regulation Review committee is the implementation of "Independent Administrative Hearings- Through a Central Panel."

"We have two goals in pursuing this idea," said Therriault. "Provide better due process to Alaskans who find themselves before an administrative hearing - and improve timeliness in scheduling hearings and in the issuance of decisions following those hearings."

Sen. Therriault says if those two goals can be achieved, there would be significant savings to the state and to Alaskan business owners.

According to Department of Administration commissioner Mike Miller, 26 different states and numerous municipal governments around the country have adopted a central hearing panel in some form or another. Miller says everything is on the table for consideration, but explains that not every adjudication officer's duties are the same.

"We will be doing assessments to see how the public would be best served by a central hearing panel and how to keep the costs down as we revamp our hearing system," said Miller.

Neither the Legislature nor the administration has a timeline for introducing a specific bill, but a commitment is in place to research, in detail a new hearing process for Alaska.

"Alaskans have demanded a less costly, more efficient government," said Therriault. "To that end, we will seek the counsel of national experts who have helped install central panels in other states - and try to develop a plan that will best serve Alaska."

# # #

02-19-03: Senate President Gene Therriault comments on how the new administration is willing to work with the legislature to evaluate where state government hearing officers are located.

=

Gene Therriault 73 K

=

Gene Therriault 507 K

02-19-03: Senate President Gene Therriault explains that if an alaskan citizen is now appealing an admistrative decision they are appealing to the very agency that wrote and implimented the regulation in question. Citizens do not currently feel they are getting a fair shake from the process.

=

Gene Therriault 40 K

=

Gene Therriault 276 K

02-19-03: Newly appointed Commissioner of Administration, Mike Miller, comments that implimenting a centralized hearing agency delivers on the promise of Governor Murkowski's smarter smaller state government.

=

Mike Miller 56 K

=

Mike Miller 387 K

02-19-03: Senator Scott Ogan explains that the executive branch has the power to write regulations and adjudicate those same regulations and that people need a better system of due process than the current system.

=

Scott Ogan 43 K

=

Scott Ogan 294 K