Anchorage Daily News

JUNEAU -- State lawmakers are back in Juneau for another 30-day special session.

Click to enlarge

Story tools

Comments

E-mail a friend

Print

Digg this

Seed Newsvine

Send link via AIM

Font size : A | A | A

But this time the scope of the session will include several energy-related issues in addition to the session's most heavy-hitting subject: advancing a natural gas pipeline project.

Lawmakers will also be reviewing Gov. Sarah Palin's energy relief plan that includes a $1,200 payment to most residents and lifting fuel taxes -- including 8 cents a gallon for motorists -- for one year.

First, however, they want to finish business at hand: whether to award TransCanada Corp. an exclusive license to build a pipeline designed to deliver natural gas to Midwest markets.

Lawmakers hope to vote on Palin's recommendation within a week, then tackle a series of bills covering her energy relief proposal introduced to the House and Senate on Wednesday morning.

This special session ends no later than 11:59 p.m. Aug. 7.

Throughout the year lawmakers have heard pleas from residents who have watched gasoline and diesel fuel price increases outpace those in the Lower 48 by three- and fourfold.

Kevin Meyer, an Anchorage Republican who serves as co-chairman on the House Finance Committee, said short-term needs must be addressed while various alternative statewide energy projects get under way.

"The rebate, I look at it as a Band-Aid, and I think we need to do that now because that's something that can get to people fairly quickly," Meyer said.

"I think the rebate, plus taking off 8 cents, are all things that we can do now," he said. "It will help bridge the gap until we can get some of these other things done."

The bills received several committee referrals on the House side and a single referral -- the Finance Committee -- on the Senate side.

Two bills will go to the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee, which is overseen by Republican Reps. Anna Fairclough of Eagle River and Gabrielle LeDoux of Kodiak.

A third, on the fuel tax issue, will go to the House Labor & Commerce Committee, run by Rep. Kurt Olson, a Soldotna Republican.

Fairclough said the heavy lifting won't begin until after the Legislature completes its work on the gas line proposal but she plans to have at least one preliminary hearing on Friday.

"We are not trying to hold the bill," Fairclough said. "We think Alaska needs some relief; we just don't know what that relief is going to be."

Lawmakers in the Anchorage area have often been accused of being insensitive to the financial needs and costs of those in rural areas.

Fairclough said enough pain is emerging around the state, be it from fuel costs or costs of goods associated with soaring energy prices.

"Communities see things from their piece of geography," Fairclough said. "As a person who lives in Eagle River, last year I think it cost me $50 to $60 to fill up my car; I'm paying $80 to $90 now.

"I'm experiencing a change in economics too. That's not to say rural Alaska or Ketchikan or Fairbanks haven't been carrying that load for longer. I am willing to look at how we address that pain throughout the state."

For now, the gas line proposal takes center stage.

Today, lawmakers will hear from executives backing a competing project that emerged near the end of the regular session.

It's called Denali and it's a joint venture between BP and Conoco Phillips.

Some lawmakers already support Denali because it's proceeding without any state seed money. TransCanada would receive up to $500 million should lawmakers award the license.

But critics say the Denali proposal sorely lacks details. Just more than a week ago, Anchorage Democratic Sens. Bill Wielechowski and Hollis French sent a letter to the joint venture calling for more information.

"We really don't know a whole lot about it," Wielechowski said. "I want to hear the details. I want to hear what they are willing to commit to."

ADVERTISEMENT