Anchorage Daily News

Editor's note: This story was originally published February 8, 2008

Let's count how many things Gov. Sarah Palin's predecessor did that she's undone.

It's quite a list.

The state-owned jet: Sold.

The proposed Gravina Island "bridge to nowhere" and a pioneer road to Juneau: Won't be funded.

The state's habitat biologists: Getting restored to their old digs at Fish and Game.

A natural gas deal negotiated with the major North Slope producers: The legislators didn't bite, and Palin said forget about it too.

These are just a few of the reversals in the 14 months since Palin became governor.

"A lot of things under (Gov. Frank Murkowski's) leadership were attempted but didn't work," Palin said in an interview this week.

"We're fixing them," she said.

Insofar as certain state decisions spearheaded by Murkowski weren't good policies or decisions in the first place, they were bound to unravel, some legislators said this week.

But the legislators also pointed out that Palin isn't challenging all of Murkowski's decisions. Some of them, in fact, have been upheld, despite continued opposition from a variety of opponents, ranging from oil companies to environmentalists.

For example, Murkowski increased taxes on the North Slope by merging some oil fields. The ferry system is still in Ketchikan, where he moved it despite opposition from people in Juneau. Palin hasn't challenged either of those decisions.

The Palin administration also backs a controversial Murkowski-era regulation that lets companies and utilities discharge more pollution into water where salmon are incubating. And it's defending in court Murkowski's decision to take back Exxon Mobil and other companies' leases for the massive Point Thomson oil and gas field.

PERSONALITIES

Perhaps what makes the reversals seem remarkable is the two strong-willed personalities involved: Murkowski and Palin, both pro-development, but one eager to deal with the oil producers, and the other more adversarial; one seemingly immune to grass-roots opposition, the other inclined to give it consideration.

Murkowski said in an interview this week that he believes the reason for their different behavior is his practical experience in the business sector and politics, dealing with major firms such as the oil producers.

He doesn't agree with many of Palin's recent decisions, but he won't criticize them -- or her -- directly.

"It's a prerogative of the governor to lead, whether you agree with the leadership or not," Murkowski said.

Many Democrats thought Murkowski took that prerogative too far. "He sort of thought that the state should do what he said it should do. He wasn't interested in building constituencies for the changes he wanted to make," said Rep. Mike Doogan, D-Anchorage.

Palin, on the other hand, has taken a long time to make some hot-button decisions. This week, she got kudos from fishermen, some legislators, hunters and environmentalists for addressing their concerns about strengthening the voice of state's habitat biologists, who were removed by Murkowski from the state Department of Fish and Game in 2003.

Her decision to return the biologists to Fish and Game followed a yearlong review of the issue by Palin's staff.

PRECEDENT

There's plenty of precedent for Palin to undo significant chunks of Murkowski's work: It's been happening over and over again during the state's short history.

During his tenure, Gov. Tony Knowles dropped several lawsuits that his predecessor, Wally Hickel, had been pushing, including one that revolved around one of Alaska's biggest controversies -- subsistence.

By intervening in the federal Katie John subsistence lawsuit, Hickel had hoped to assert state authority over navigable waters in Alaska. But he ran afoul of Alaska Natives' desire to enshrine the federal government's rural priority for subsistence hunting and fishing. In 2001, Knowles decided not to appeal a court ruling that upheld federal authority over the navigable waters.

Of this and other suits dropped by Knowles, Hickel later wrote, "I would have taken them to the U.S. Supreme Court, and then, if need be, to the World Court."

On the other hand, Hickel opted to settle a raft of lawsuits spearheaded by his predecessors, including long-running disputes with oil producers over back taxes and a civil lawsuit against Exxon for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Hickel pursued a $1 billion settlement from Exxon, which agreed to pay the amount to the state and federal government to fund restoration projects, land purchases and environmental studies in Prince William Sound. His tax settlements netted the state nearly $4 billion.

CONSEQUENCES

Despite media attention to items such as Murkowski's state jet, or the Gravina bridge, which seem odd, interesting or funny at the time, this kind of thing ultimately doesn't matter a lot to the state, according to former Gov. Tony Knowles.

"I don't think the public cares much about that anyway. What they are looking for is results on the big issues," Knowles said.

That doesn't keep legislators -- and the Palin administration -- from monitoring Palin's reversals of Murkowski's decisions and funding priorities.

Some of Murkowski's actions on the environment were bad ones, said Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, and Palin isn't overturning all of them, he said.

For example, Seaton has been pushing a bill to reverse the regulation approved during Murkowski's reign to partially lift a ban on elevated amounts of pollution discharged into salmon streams, allowing the discharges to mix with clean water while salmon eggs are incubating.

If the administration supported the bill, it would have moved in the Legislature, but instead it has stalled, Seaton said.

Murkowski / Palin

Purchased a jet for state travel despite disapproval from the Legislature. Put the jet up for sale on eBay and ultimately sold it.

Merged the state's wildlife enforcement officers with the State Troopers. "Unmerged" them.

Moved biologists in charge of permits for development in fish habitat from the Department of Fish and Game to the Department of Natural Resources. Returning them to Fish and Game.

Supported federal funding to extend Juneau's highway 50 miles north and build the Gravina Island bridge to Ketchikan's airport. Removed the funding for both projects.

Eliminated the state's revenue sharing with local governments in tight-money years. Reinstated the funding.

Won funding for a national ad campaign to boost the state's image. Canceled the advertising contract.

CORRECTION: Correction A graphic with an article on Page A-1 Friday about Gov. Sarah Palin's reversal of former Gov. Frank Murkowski's decisions incorrectly stated that Palin removed the funding for extending Juneau's highway 50 miles north. She removed some state funds but not federal funds for the project.

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