When he takes over for Gov. Sarah Palin, Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell faces a tough but manageable assignment. Tops on his to-do list: follow through on Gov. Palin's progress toward a natural gas pipeline, sharpen the focus of state energy policy, build a sustainable budget despite declining oil revenues and stake out some initiatives of his own in fields like domestic violence and health care.

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Sean Parnell

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He'll have to do it in a politically charged atmosphere, with people from both sides of the aisle aiming to run for governor in 2010, as is Parnell himself.

Two factors should favor him: His experience -- he logged eight years in the Legislature and six in the executive branch -- and no one's ever accused him of being a celebrity. He knows how lawmakers work and how to work with them. And he's not likely to be the draw in a Lower 48 fundraiser. He can keep his focus on the home front.

GAS PIPELINE

Parnell has said he's still a whole-hearted supporter of Palin's Alaska Gasline Inducement Act process, and further, that he sees no need to revisit the state's current oil and gas tax regime because a gas line project looks like it will pay as is. Palin's gas line team of Tom Irwin (Commissioner of Natural Resources), Pat Galvin (commissioner of Revenue), and Marty Rutherford (deputy commissioner, DNR) has been steady, savvy and has helped to bring a gas line closer. Parnell should stay the course.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Palin helped put more than $100 million into alternative energy in Alaska. Parnell should try to sharpen the focus by concentrating on projects that promise to deliver the most results -- Chakachamna hydro? More wind turbines? Geothermal? Gov. Palin set a worthy goal -- 50 percent of Alaska's energy from renewable resources by 2025. But she never produced a road map to that goal. Alaska needs one.

SOUTHCENTRAL ENERGY SUPPLY

Parnell has said affordable energy is a key to Alaska prosperity. In Southcentral Alaska, that means a reliable supply of natural gas for the foreseeable future. Whether that supply should tap into the North Slope gas line project or be a separate, smaller bullet line to our hungry market, we need a solution sooner than later.

HEALTH CARE

Lawmakers who led the failed charge for a state program of mandatory health insurance are now letting President Barack Obama and Congress take the lead. But Parnell could do what Palin did not and immediately help thousands of Alaska children with a modest increase in the income levels for the Denali KidCare program. Palin's support was lukewarm. Parnell should make it clear he wants legislation to sign. This is a program that provides health care benefits to working Alaskans, and Alaska has no business in its current position near the bottom of the 50 states in providing that care.

EDUCATION

Last session Parnell said he was interested in working on a financial aid endowment for Alaska students with good grades but little money. Again, Alaska lags behind other states providing post-secondary help for education. Sen. Johnny Ellis sponsored a bill to set up an endowment to provide up to $20,000 over five years for students in need. This is money well-invested in students who have proved they're motivated to work and achieve -- and would have to continue to do so to keep receiving aid.

GAS PRICE GOUGING

Gov. Palin was hands-off on this issue last session, while Rep. Pete Petersen in the House and Sen. Bill Wielechowski in the Senate backed legislation to keep Alaska fuel prices within shouting distance of Washington's by limiting the mark-up that refiners charge. Parnell will be cool to market intervention, but he should recognize Alaskans have neither the Lower 48's competitive market nor as many practical alternatives. He should press for smart legislation that brings relief. Few of these issues got the attention they deserved after Gov. Palin left the state to run for vice president. Unlike her, Parnell is prepared to give the governor's office his undivided attention.

Most Alaskans don't know much about him, even though he's held statewide office for more than 2 years and also run for Congress. Parnell is a conservative Republican, a veteran of the partisan Republican legislative supermajority of the 1990s, though of a more moderate temperament than some of the true believers.

Unlike Palin, he has never achieved "maverick" status, nor gone to war with the party hierarchy. He's solid, not flashy. To use the basketball point guard metaphor, he won't make the behind-the-back pass, but he won't leave the court before the game is over, either.

At this point, Alaskans don't need flash from the governor's office. We need a solid, steady hand to be in charge. We need a governor who'll make sure state government does what it's supposed to do, with a minimum of distraction.

Sean Parnell has the right temperament for the times. Now he has to show Alaskans what kind of statewide leader he can be.

BOTTOM LINE: Soon-to-be Gov. Sean Parnell has his chance to show us who he is and what he can do.

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