JUNEAU -- An Alaska lawmaker is proposing state-backed advertising campaigns to promote drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Anchorage Republican Rep. Lance Pruitt is the author of HB358.

The bill calls for Alaska to fund at least half of advertising campaigns promoting drilling in ANWR. The rest would come from a trade group, which the state commerce department would contract with to run the campaign.

Last week the bill cleared the House Labor and Commerce Committee. It now awaits a hearing in the House Finance Committee.

It's not clear yet how much the proposal would cost.

Pruitt says the idea comes from a trip he and a few legislators took to Washington, D.C., this session and from previous state efforts to promote Alaska tourism and fishing industry through similar campaigns.