Governor Signs Budgets and Bonds
The state’s spending instructions for next year have been set as Governor Parnell today vetoed very little from more than $12-Billion in operating and capital projects budgets the legislature approved last month.
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Texting While Driving Now Illegal in Alaska
Governor Parnell today (Thursday) put the final touches on a law that legislators thought they had handled four years ago. With his signature, it is now illegal to send or read a text message while you are driving. Period, no question about it.
Bill Allows Use of Naturally Occurring Asbestos
Governor Parnell last week signed a bill setting standards that allow naturally occurring asbestos to be extracted and used in construction projects around the state. It also protects owners of contaminated gravel, construction companies, landowners, workers and communities from any legal responsibility if health hazards develop.
Judicial Council Holding Hearing On Judge Retention
The public will get a special opportunity to talk about judges next week as the Alaska Judicial Council will hold a statewide hearing to get opinions on the 26 judges up for retention votes this fall.
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House Pondering Next Step After Senate Adjourns
Members of the State House Republican led caucus are deciding their next step after the Senate abruptly adjourned from the special session Thursday.
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Senate Adjourns Special Session
The Senate has adjourned the special legislative session the governor called last week. That follows the governor’s unprecedented action Wednesday night of removing any consideration of his bill lowering taxes on oil.
In-State Gas Line Remains On Legislators’ Radar
The only item remaining on the Governor’s proclamation for a special session is a bill that would take huge steps toward the construction of an in-state natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Southcentral Alaska. It was sponsored by House Speaker Mike Chenault (R-Nikiski).
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Exploratory Shale Wells Coming Within a Month
Great Bear Petroleum this morning announced it is within a month of drilling up to six exploratory shale oil wells this summer on its holdings along the Dalton Highway.
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Oil Tax Gets Questioned in House
Lawmakers in the State House of Representatives appear cautious, but open to Governor Parnell’s new oil tax plan.
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Governor’s Oil Tax Plan Meets Legislative Opposition
The bill now before the Senate Resources Committee has actually gotten bad reviews from those who previously supported the administration.
Sex Crimes Bill Ready for the Governor
The House and Senate have finished one third of the items on the agenda for the special session that began yesterday. Members expected fast action on the bill strengthening the state’s laws against Sex Crimes.
Senate Hears Plan for In-State Gas Pipeline
The Senate has begun learning about the bill setting up the development of a gas pipeline from the North Slope to South Central and the railbelt. The measure passed the House last month and had two hearings in its first committee of referral during the regular session. A re-written version returned today for the first time during the special session. And sponsors focused on explaining the needto restore many of the elements the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee had eliminated.
Special Session Gets Underway
The special legislative session got underway Wednesday afternoon with a streamlined agenda. Lawmakers are considering three subjects, an in-state gas line from the North Slope to Southcentral, a bill strengthening the state’s sex crimes lawas, and a bill rewriting the state’s oil tax regime.
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Special Session Gets Underway
The special session of the legislature got underway this afternoon with a three-item agenda for members to work with – picking up issues that didn’t make it through the regular session that adjourned Sunday night.
Legislature Adjourns — Returning Wednesday
The Legislature made it to the end of its regular ninety-day session just after midnight this morning – passing and sending to the governor several dozen bills over the final two days. However, the issues seen as critical at the start of the session, turned out to be footnotes at the end.
In-State Gas Line Bill Loses Steam
An in-state gas line might have moved a little further into the shadows Friday as a House bill setting up a pipeline from the North Slope to Southcentral lost most of its content in the Senate.
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Scholarship Passes Senate With Complaints From Two Directions
It’s not what the governor wants – and it drew opposition from all sides.
Senate Discussing Oil Tax Changes
The Senate Majority spent most of Thursday closed off in discussions over changes that need to be made to the state’s oil tax regime.
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Governor May Call Special Session
Governor Sean Parnell says he will call Alaska lawmakers into special session if the Senate passes an oil tax bill by Sunday. The Session is under a statutory deadline to adjourn by that day, but with a key piece of legislation still pending in the Senate, Parnell says he wants to make sure the House has time to evaluate the version that emerges.
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Senate Passes Capital Projects Budget
The Senate unanimously passed a $2.6 billion capital projects budget Wednesday – a bill that Finance Co-Chairman Bert Stedman (R-Sitka) says is another step toward keeping Alaska’s economy going well.
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