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Murkowski proposes permanent fund task
force and special session
Governor Murkowski is looking to the Alaska Permanent Fund to close a hole
in the state budget. But Murkowski says the issue will be settled by voters
during November's General Election.
During his annual State of the State and Budget Address to the Legislature
last night, Murkowski announced plans to form a panel that will recommend
whether to use permanent fund money to fund state government.
No one's talking about ending the dividend program, but the governor wants
the 55-member panel to make a recommendation on whether to use a portion of
the money for state government. The panel plans to meet at the
University of Alaska, Fairbanks February 10th to the 12th.
Murkowski says he will take recommendations from the panel to seek
legislative approval of a measure asking voters for permission to use funds
for government.
Lawmakers are expected to take up the issue in a special session planned for
March First.
Michael Burns will chair the panel. He's
one of seven members named by the Governor who will, in turn, pick 44 other
members. Four will be lawmakers representing both majority and minority
views.
Burns told reporters during a press conference in Juneau this morning
that their biggest challenge is probably presenting fairness and balance to
the people of Alaska.
He thinks picking the other delegates will be their ultimate challenge in
order to get a true reflection of Alaska. He added that will be
the only action taken by the group that won't be totally open to the press
and the public. He says those decisions will be done in executive session in
order to obtain a fair balance.
Burns hopes their selections will be announced by next week.
The honorary chair is retired Judge Tom
Stewart of Juneau who served as secretary to Alaska's constitutional
convention.
Capital Planning Committee named by
Botelho
One of the 16 members of Juneau Mayor Bruce Botelho's Capital Planning
Committee is an Anchorage lawmaker who is the sponsor of legislation to
build a new capitol building in the state, but not necessarily here.
"Build it and they will come," is the theme of Representative Norm
Rokeberg's House Bill 60.
It calls for communities to submit plans and then leasing a facility to the
state for a dollar a year with the state picking up operation and
maintenance costs.
Botelho rejects the approach outlined in the legislation.
The mayor expects the committee to have a report to the Governor by late
summer so he can consider it in his budget planning.
He thinks the most likely financing method will be in the form of revenue
bonds issued by the city. To retire that debt, he says a long term lease
would be needed with the state
Other lawmakers on the panel are Kodiak Senator Gary Stevens, Senator Hollis
French of Anchorage, Fairbanks Representative David Guttenberg.
Local officials include Assembly members Jeanne Johnson and Merrill Sanford
and Planning Commission member Marshal Kendziorek.
Other members are Alaska Committee President Win Gruening, Legislative
Affairs Agency Executive Director Pam Varney, Sharon Kelly, president of the
Alaska State Employees Federal Credit Union, Alaska Municipal League
Executive Director Kevin Ritchie, CBJ Architect Sarah Lewis, Consultant
Carlton Smith, realtor John Williams and Phil Smith of the National Marine
Fisheries Service.
Botelho is also serving on the committee.
The committee conducts a meeting from 3 to 5 Thursday afternoon in Assembly
Chambers at City Hall.
Lynn's vote on bonus override
results in sanctions
State Representative Bob Lynn will be sanctioned by the GOP majority for
backing the Democrats move earlier this week to restore the senior citizen
longevity bonus program.
House Majority Leader John Coghill said today after a closed-door caucus
that Lynn would lose his committee chairmanships but will be allowed to
remain in the caucus.
Lynn is chair of the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee and
vice-chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee.
On Monday, Lynn angered fellow Republicans by voting with Democrats in a
failed attempt to enter into a veto override session.
Democrats wanted to reverse Governor Murkowski's veto last session of 45 (m)
million in funding for the program.
The senior citizen Longevity Bonus program provided eligible seniors with up
to two hundred and 50 dollars per month.
Coghill says majority members agree early on to back leadership on
procedural and budget votes.
He says they are free to vote their conscience on other matters.
Coghill says Lynn told Republicans before the vote that he would back the
Democrats veto override move.
Cocaine seized on state ferry leads to
arrest in Juneau
A Juneau man has been charged in a drug bust involving cocaine.
The Petersburg Police Department contacted a passenger onboard the state
ferry Malaspina Sunday and seized approximately one pound of cocaine, which
was destined for Juneau.
Investigators delivered the cocaine to the intended recipient the next day
and served a warrant on a North Douglas Highway residence.
Greg O. Brown, age 20 of Juneau, was arrested for misconduct involving a
controlled substance in the third degree.
In addition to the cocaine, investigators seized a .45 caliber pistol and
other evidence.
Draft EIS on Kensington due out later
this month, according to mine official
The developers of the Kensington Mine near Juneau says the permitting
process continue to move forward.
Coeur Alaska Project Manager Rich Richins says they received an indication
this week a draft Environmental Impact Statement will be issued January
23rd.
He says the Forest Service has scheduled public hearings for next month.
The mine is projected to create 325 construction jobs and about 225
full-time permanent jobs.
Richins says a final decision on whether to begin construction this spring
will be made after the permit process is complete.
BP's environmental record blasted by
top state DEC official
Alaska's top pollution regulator says oil company B-P has failed to meet its
environmental responsibilities.
Ernesta Ballard, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental
Conservation, has told the U-S Environmental Protection Agency that B-P
needs heightened scrutiny.
Ballard cited two mishandled North Slope spills. She argued that B-P has not
fully abided by an agreement after it pleaded guilty in 1999 to a criminal
pollution violation.
That agreement required B-P to develop an environmental management system to
track and immediately report spills, and cooperate better with state
regulators.
Ballard says B-P failed to promptly report a spill last year. And she says
the company quickly and illegally pumped spilled liquids underground in
February 2001, without getting permission from state regulators.
B-P is Alaska's number two oil producer. The company runs most of the North
Slope oil fields.
Big cuts in store for Anchorage
school district
The Anchorage school district is facing a budget deficit of historic
proportions.
Anchorage School Superintendent Carol Comeau is proposing budget cuts that
include slicing 332 staff positions, eliminating funding for community
schools and increasing fees all to make up for a $26.2 million deficit in
the 2004-05 school year budget.
About half the staff reductions are teaching positions. The cuts are the
largest proposed for an Anchorage school budget since oil prices crashed in
the mid-1980s, she said.
The deficit is largely the result of an increase in negotiated salaries, an
increase in the amount of money the district must contribute to employee
retirement systems and an expected $15.4 million increase for inflation,
rate increases and programs designed to meet state and federal mandates.
Also, revenue from the state has declined by $3.7 million, enrollment is
expected to drop by 164 students and some costs are associated with opening
the new South Anchorage High School.
Comeau said the cuts she is suggesting will "significantly impact"
education.
Her recommended staff reductions include laying off 54 middle school
teachers and half of the district's 81 kindergarten aides.
Comeau has also suggested laying off an additional 102.5 teaching positions,
which means an average increase of 1.5 students per class at every grade
level, with the exception of special education classes.
Tax increases on table in Sitka
The Sitka Assembly has voted to increase the sales tax cap rate by
two-thousand dollars.
It also voted to raise the property tax millage rate by one mill at their
regular meeting last night.
The sales tax proposal did not receive a second vote because the Assembly
ran out of time. It also needs a third reading.
A new millage rate would have to be approved by voters.
Assembly member Thor Christiansen says a sales tax cap increase is the least
regressive. The current rate of one-thousand dollars was set in 1967.
Assembly member Marko Dapcevich urged the Assembly to keep the cap at
one-thousand dollars. He says the city does not need the additional revenue.
Airport seeks trailer unit to ease
overcrowded terminal
The Airport Board of Directors meets this evening and dwindling space in the
terminal tops the agenda.
Patty deLaBruere of the Airport Manager's Office says a budget request is up
for action. Staff is seeking a $20,000 increase in this year's budget for
the purchase of a mobile trailer unit.
She says it would be used to house the contract weather office. The office
is currently in the terminal, but federal inspection services which includes
Customs has to expand. In conjunction with the need to relocate airport
security to accommodate baggage screening, deLaBruere says they are
completely out of space in the terminal.
An informational item up for discussion deals with the water and sewer
expansion program. Some draft regulation language will be presented for the
board's review. deLaBruere says no action on that matter is planned at this
evening's meeting.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Aurora Room at the airport.
Price set for snow crab
Bering Sea snow crab fishermen say they have agreed with processors on a
price and will drop pots as scheduled at noon Thursday. Fishermen voted
Monday to accept a price of two dollars and five cents per pound, the
second-highest price in the fishery's history.
(Copyright ©2003
Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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