Senate Republicans: TC Alaska/ExxonMobil Agreement
Positive For Alaska and Gas Pipeline

NORTH POLE – The Senate Republican Caucus provided the following comments on today’s announcement by TC Alaska and ExxonMobil regarding their agreement on the Alaska North Slope Gas Pipeline project.

“Certainly today’s announcement is very positive for Alaska and the country.  While it appears that this agreement honors the terms of AGIA while advancing an Alaska Gasline project, we will be very interested to look more closely at all the details, to be assured that the state’s “must haves” in AGIA will be protected.  I appreciate that their announcement continues to acknowledge the possibility of an LNG option that includes a liquefaction facility in Valdez,” said Sen. Gene Therriault, R – North Pole.

While several key aspects of the announcement are worthy of highlighting, such as TC-Alaska remaining the licensee under AGIA, and the open season timeline continues on schedule, Therriault noted, “This agreement marks a serious breakthrough for the gas pipeline project in that ExxonMobil’s partnering acknowledges that TransCanada’s ability to advance a project using the Northern Pipeline Act (NPA) is a significant advantage compared to the National Energy Board (NEB) process in Canada.  For years legislators were told by some that there was no advantage to using the NPA rather than the standard approval process of the NEB.”

“Throughout this process we always predicted that TransCanada and the companies would come together and negotiate an agreement.  This announcement today between TC-Alaska and Exxon goes a long way towards a commitment to see this project through,” said Sen. Tom Wagoner, R-Kenai.

“I am hopeful that today’s announcement will quiet those who appear to have been hoping for failure of the AGIA process,” said Sen. Con Bunde, R-Anchorage.

“We look forward to the continued development of solid construction cost data which the state and other interested parties will need as we approach an open season in 2010,” said Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River. “Construction of the pipeline is still not assured; however, this agreement is a real step forward.”

Senate Republican Caucus: Governor Right to Question Federal Stimulus Dollars that Would Result in Huge Long-Term Operating Budget Commitments

JUNEAU – In light of Governor Sarah Palin’s announcement today that she would accept only $514 million of $930 million offered to Alaska in federal stimulus dollars, members of the Senate Republican Caucus endorsed her approach to keep the state operating budget under control.

“The Governor has said she would accept only those dollars offered for capital projects and is just saying ‘no’ to most of the funding for expansion of government programs,” said Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole. “I think this is a responsible course to take. She may be criticized for refusing more than $400 million in available funding, but by doing so, we will avoid an unsustainable expansion of programs on into the future. I appreciate that she is going to work with the Legislature to review those projects and dollars she questioned, to see if there is a balance we can reach between the strings that are attached and what is in the best interest of Alaskans.”

“This offer from the Congress and the Obama administration is a little bit like having way too much to drink,” said Sen. Con Bunde, R-Anchorage. “A good time may be had by all, but the hangover the next day, and the consequences of what you did while you were drunk, may be with you for a long, long time.”

“The Governor made it clear that the direction she is taking with the federal stimulus dollars only pertains to the State of Alaska, and does not impact any funding for which municipalities, nonprofits, tribal organizations, and other community entities may otherwise be eligible,” said Sen. Tom Wagoner, R-Kenai. “I think part of the job of the Legislature, along with the administration, is to help those local entities identify available grants that are funded through the stimulus package, and apply for those dollars if they do not create an on-going commitment that the local organization cannot sustain.”

“The U.S. economy is going through an especially rough patch, so we have to be very careful how we apply this stimulus,” said Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River. “In addition, we hope the public will understand the strings that are attached to some of these carrots. For example, one program would get us $28 million, but requires us to adopt a statewide international building code. While a one-size-fits-all code may work in smaller states, the climate and geography in Alaska is so varied that local governments need flexibility in their areas. Through our legislative process, we will determine if we want to take on this requirement.”

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Bunde Introduces Bill to Turn Down Salary Increases for Legislators, Top Administration Staff

JUNEAU – Sen. Con Bunde, R-Anchorage, has introduced legislation (SB 106) to disapprove the recommendation of the Alaska State Officers Compensation Commission, which would increase the salaries of legislators and top state officials. If the recommendations are not disapproved through legislation and signed by the Governor by March 30, 2009, the raises will automatically take effect.

“I firmly reject the notion that higher legislative salaries will provide for more ethical and honest legislators,” Bunde said. “However, good arguments can be made for or against increasing legislative salaries. This bill is a vehicle that will allow those discussions to occur and the legislature the opportunity to vote on the recommendations.”

The compensation commission, created under HB 417 last year, released its findings and recommendations last fall. Under those recommendations, the Governor’s annual salary would remain at $125,000; the Lt. Governor’s salary would remain at $100,000; commissioners’ salaries would be set at $135,000; and legislators’ salaries would rise to a uniform $50,400, while long-term per diem for legislators would be stopped.

Bunde said the commission’s report is an “all-or-nothing” decision for the Legislature, but that the salaries should not take effect without a thorough public discussion, which his bill would facilitate when it is heard in committee.

SB 106 was referred to the Labor & Commerce, Judiciary, and Finance committees.

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Bunde Resolution (SCR 3) Urges Governor to Sue Feds
to Protect State’s Right to Navigable Waterways

JUNEAU – The Alaska State Senate today is considering a resolution to ask Governor Sarah Palin to file suit against the U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, to assert Alaska’s rights to control navigable waters within the state. Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 , introduced by Sen. Con Bunde, R-Anchorage, describes growing problems the state is experiencing with the NPS, as that agency usurps control of activities on water bodies that belong to the state.

“It is absolutely critical that the State of Alaska stand up for its rights under the Statehood Compact and the equal footing doctrine,” Bunde said. “These bodies of water, including the Yukon River, belong to the state, so when the Park Service attempts to dictate who can run a boat on them, or land an airplane, or use them to fish or hunt, we have a real problem with that.”

Bunde’s resolution notes that the foundational documents under which Alaska entered the Union clearly give control and ownership of navigable waters to the state, and this was reiterated in the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in 1980. However, the NPS began usurping the state’s sovereign rights over waterways inside National Parks in 1996. The resolution also notes that the state has attempted for the past 12 years to resolve the conflict without success.

“I am convinced that the only way to resolve this issue is through the courts, because the federal managers and bureaucrats have a vested interest to continue to build their empires at the expense of the state,” Bunde said. “There are hundreds of thousands of acres of submerged lands at stake, under rivers, lakes and tidal waters. Access to Alaska’s lands was guaranteed under ANILCA, but it is slowly but surely being denied by federal employees.”

SCR 3 also urges the Governor to allocate sufficient resources to the Department of Law, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Fish and Game to fund and support a legal challenge to protect the state’s sovereign right to manage the public use of its navigable waters. The resolution was referred to the Senate Resources committee.

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BASIS Link – Fact Sheet – Sponsor Statement – Sectional Analysis
(Documents are in Adobe Acrobat format)

• SB 5 – Partial-Birth Abortion
  Sponsor Statement
  
• SB 6 – Notice & Consent for Minor’s Abortion
  Fact Sheet – Sponsor Statement
  
• SB 7 – Municipal Land Use Regulation
• SB 9 – State Budget Priorities
• SB 15 – Info, Anesthesia, Consent for Abortion
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 16 – Definitions: Person/Child/Human/Etc
• SB 17 – Limited Liability Companies
• SB 26 – Power Cost Reduction/Energy Council
• SB 30 – State Government Missions: General & HSS
  Fact Sheet – Sponsor Statement
  
• SB 34 – Compressed Natural Gas for State Vehicles
• SB 36 – Executive Branch Records Security
  Fact Sheet
• SB 39 – Extend Board of Public Accountancy
  Fact Sheet
• SB 40 – Extend Suicide Prevention Council
  Fact Sheet
• SB 45 – Veterans’ Cemeteries/Fund/License Plates
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 48 – Meetings of Road Service Area Boards
  Fact Sheet
• SB 52 – Salvia Divinorum as Controlled Substance
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 53 – Approp: Bridges, Service Roads, Trail
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 71 – Alternative Energy for Public Works
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 78 – Legislative Audit Division Powers
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 98 – Medical Audit Division Powers
• SB 106 – Reject Recommendation of Compensation Commission
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 137 – Relating to Meetings of the Board of Fisheries
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 146 – AK Firearms Exept from Federal Regulation
• SB 158 – Return of Property
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 181 – Ultrasounds Preceding Abortions
  Sponsor Statement
• SCR 2 – No Wood Bison in Certain Areas
  Sponsor Statement
  
• SCR 3 – Oppose Fed. Control of State Land and Water
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 3 – Firearms in National Park
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 4 – AK Territorial Guard Retirement Benefits
  Fact Sheet
• SJR 6 – Oppose H.R. 45 in Congress
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 7 – Oppose UN Designation of Arctic Ocean
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 14 – Exemption for Hydraulic Fracturing
  
• SJR 15 – Oppose Assault Weapons Ban
• SR 6 – Oppose TSA Security Rule