SPECIAL LIDLIFTER EDITION

And They’re Off!

The first session of the 26th Alaska Legislature convened on Tuesday afternoon, amid growing concern about the state’s finances.

Once again, the Senate is run by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans. They pretty much had to do that because the 20-member Senate is now split 10-10 between the parties. As before, the Senate president, the Rules chairman and one of the Finance co-chairs are all Republicans.

The Republicans still control the House, 22-18. Their hand was strengthened by the defection of four rural Democrats to their side, leaving them a working majority of 26-14. In the House, the Republicans control all the major positions and most of the minor ones, too.

That might not be as much fun as it sounds. With North Slope crude oil trading below $40 a barrel, the state’s operating budget, which this year requires just more than $8.5 billion in state funds, could be in trouble. Not to mention the capital budget, which is more than $1 billion in state funds. And that’s before we write next year’s budget. Unless the powerful members of the powerful Finance committees – of whom I am not one --decide to plug this gap entirely with savings, we could see some leaner times.

How bad is that? Maybe not as bad as it seems. According to figures from the Legislative Finance Division, the state’s share of the operating budget has grown more than 60 percent in the past five years, while the state’s share of the capital budget has gone from about $450 million to $1.3 billion in the same period. So maybe the need to keep pumping up the budget isn’t as great as some people might say.

My early prediction – and never forget that I’m a really lousy predictor – is that the session will revolve around budget questions, with the Senate wanting to spend more savings and the House less. The only other major question will be what happens after Gov. Sarah Palin slaps on some of the budget vetoes that she needs for her conservative street cred. Will the legislature override those vetoes? Stay tuned.

And What Am I Doing?

Well, besides wearing a procession of snappy ties, I am once again a powerful member of the powerful Transportation, Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, and Legislative Budget and Audit committees. Faithful readers will remember that for the past two years I was also a powerful member of the powerful Oil & Gas Committee. The Republicans decided not to have an Oil & Gas committee this time around. I’m trying not to take that personally.

How to Reach Me

I am assisted this year by the lovely and talented Priya Keane, and the not quite so lovely but equally talented Matt Moser. All of us can be reached at 907-465-4998, or toll free at 800-689-4998. Our mailing address is Room 112, State Capitol, Juneau, AK 99801. The best email address is: Rep.Mike.Doogan@legis.state.ak.us. That’s my email address, but everybody in the office seems to read my email all the time anyway. Oh, well. Open government.

Loose Ends

I saw our governor the other day. Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom and I were sent to notify her that the House was, in fact, in session. She took that piece of bad news with commendable aplomb, but didn’t actually seem all that happy to see me. Maybe the fact that she’s spent much of the time between last session and this one scaling the giddy heights of national politics has something to do with that. Or maybe it’s just that I’m not as charming as I think I am.

I just want to say this before moving on. The Sarah Palin Phenomenon is a continuing source of amazement to me, and my own tiny part in the goings on is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever done. And I went to college in San Francisco in the 1960s.

One little juxtaposition will suffice as an example of what I mean. At the start of her campaign for vice president, I was being pilloried by right wingers for writing that I didn’t think she was ready for national office. Most recently, I’ve been assailed by left wingers for telling them that, no, the legislature is not going to have her beheaded in the village square over Troopergate.

Look! It’s A Politician, Talking

The governor gave us her state of the state speech Thursday night. As is traditional with this speech, it was longer on phrase-making than specifics. One specific I was happy to hear was her mention of a road to Nome. The road to Nome was once a staple of state political dreaming, and hearing its name again was like running into an old friend.

Unfortunately, it was like running into an old friend looking to put his hand in your pocket. I don’t know what the per-mile estimate is these days to build the road to Nome -- $1 million a mile? $2 million? $3 million? But I do know that there’s neither the population nor the economic development opportunities to justify spending a ton of money on the road.

Unless, of course, someone has struck oil along the route. That’d be a completely different story.

More Later.