An ongoing theme from last year’s session is the attempt to cut the public out of the state’s decision-making process. I was opposed to HB 77 (one of last year’s most contentious bills) from its inception. I was proud of the public uproar over that bill. Alaskans’ voices always deserve to be heard. HB 77 is on the move again as well as another bill that aims to reduce public involvement (HB 47).
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How many politicians have you seen, from presidential candidates on down, who’ll drape themselves in the American flag for a vote? I’m not one for lip services about bills that don’t do anything, or for political flag draping.
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Like a good story, most legislative sessions have a narrative. Last session’s narrative was simple and wholesome: the passage of a multi-billion dollar tax cut for oil companies. And by golly, we got the job done with SB 21, which passed the Senate 11-9, and fulfilled its unfortunate destiny by a vote of 27-12 on the floor of the House of Representatives at 2:07 a.m. in the wee hours of April 14, 2013. (I was among the dozen dissenters.)
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Recently, I provided information on the latest gas line proposal along with some of the basic concepts behind the plan. In this update, I have provided information on the two agreements the state has entered into so far. These are temporary, non-binding agreements that were signed in January, before the governor introduced his gasline bill. If the bill passes this session, they will be the framework for negotiating binding contracts that would govern the ownership and operation of the pipeline and LNG plant.
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JUNEAU – Yesterday, Representative Harriet Drummond’s husband, Elstun Lauesen, underwent successful open heart surgery at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage. His recovery is expected to take several weeks and Rep. Drummond will stay in Anchorage to help with his recuperation.
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