Senate Republican Caucus Sets Course with Gov. Palin
Working Lunch Provides Opportunity to Outline Common Goals

JUNEAU - A working lunch at the Governor’s residence today gave the five members of the Senate Republican Caucus the opportunity to share their ideas on the impending budget shortfall and on the general direction of natural gas pipeline negotiations.

“Although we do not yet have specifics on Governor Palin’s pipeline legislation, this meeting gave us the opportunity to express our concerns as the group that protected the State’s best interests in pipeline negotiations last year,” said Senate Minority Leader Gene Therriault, R-North Pole. “The meeting today with the governor was a great opportunity for the Senate Minority group to get off on the right foot as we anticipate the introduction of the governor’s legislation to move the gas pipeline forward.”

Sen. Therriault submitted a 52-page document to the Revenue Commissioner in July 2006 outlining his concerns with Governor Murkowski’s proposed contract between the State of Alaska and BP Exploration (Alaska), ConocoPhillips Alaska and ExxonMobil Alaska Production. Among other problems, Therriault argued that the contract was ambiguous on too many material terms critical to the State’s interest; that it made material and long-term tax and royalty concessions without requiring the producers to provide similar assurances; and lacked adequate work commitments. The other members of the caucus echoed similar concerns during hearings last year.

The group also discussed their role in helping the Governor achieve her budget goals. Under the Department of Revenue’s fall forecast, even if spending remains static, declining revenues will result in a deficit in future years.

“I enjoyed our visit with the governor today and I was really impressed by her enthusiasm and her willingness to work with the Legislature to craft a budget. Clearly where we are is a starting point. She wants our input, and I think is serious about working together to arrive at a budget that builds Alaska,” said Sen. Gary Wilken, R-Fairbanks.

The caucus also expressed its support for an omnibus ethics bill, not sponsored by any one legislator, to keep the issue from bogging down in personalities and politics.

“One of the things we talked to the governor about as far as the ethics bills going through the legislature, we wanted to get more of a generic ethics bill that handled most of the ethics problems. As long as people didn’t have ownership in it, we thought it would stand a better chance of going through the system, and getting it through cleaner, and better ethics for the long-term good of the Legislature,” said Sen. Tom Wagoner, R-Kenai.

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For the entire text of Sen. Therriault’s 52-page document on last year’s gas contract, click here:
http://lba.legis.state.ak.us/sga/doc_log/2006-07-25_
therriault_contract_comments.pdf

For audio actualities from Sen. Therriault, Sen. Wilken and Sen Wagoner, click here:
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/therriault2007013101a.mp3
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/wagoner2007013101a.mp3
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/wilken2007013101a.mp3