Gov. Sean Parnell was all smiles as he faced reporters hours after the Legislature’s early-morning adjournment Monday. He had reason to be happy.
Parnell had emerged from his first session as governor with much of what he wanted: a suite of bills aimed at cracking down on domestic violence and sexual assault, a new crime lab, $100 million-plus in deferred maintenance projects, a student scholarship bill, more marketing money for tourism and a cut in the cruise ship passenger tax.
Alaska’s revenue department is forecasting $5.6 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year, up $800 million from a previous forecast due to higher oil prices.
Oil and gas taxes and royalties provide 88 percent of Alaska’s revenues.
Coastal zone management has become a contentious issue in Juneau as the Legislature approaches its April 18 adjournment.
Sen. Donny Olson, D-Nome, introduced a new version of his Senate Bill 4, which contains significant concessions to critics of his original bill, introduced last year.
The Alaska Legislature slipped past the voter-mandated 90-day cap on the legislative session Sunday, continuing to pass bills and take action until the early morning hours of Monday.
That means the legislative session, scheduled to run from Jan. 19 to April 18, did not adjourn in the Senate until 12:36 a.m. on April 19, and 12:37 a.m. in the House.
With just a few days to go in the 2010 legislative session, state senate leaders were defending a $2.8 billion state capital budget proposal being considered by the state House, arguing it is basically in line with capital budgets in recent years.
The budget included $1 billion in federal pass-through funds, mostly for highways and airports, and $380 million in general obligation bonds that voters would approve in elections next November.
The Alaska Senate on Friday unanimously approved House Joint Resolution 48, encouraging the United States Congress to expand funding for crime victim services.
Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, sponsored the bill supporting the federal Crime Victims Fund Preservation Act, an effort to increase funds available to assist victims of crime.
Alaskans can find out who’s financing ballot initiative organizers far sooner under a bill the Legislature passed Sunday.
Rep. Kyle Johansen’s bill now goes to the governor.
A tense standoff that threatened to derail the end of the legislative session ended late Sunday, when the state House voted to rescind a no vote and then approved a bill changing Alaska’s system of taxing oil and gas production together.
The Legislature also passed a bill reducing the state head tax on cruise ship passengers, after extended recesses on the House side filled with members trying to sway others to their side. The Legislature also passed a measure seen as a compromise with Gov. Sean Parnell over student scholarships.
Political ads run by corporations would have to include audio disclaimers with their top donors under a bill passed by the Legislature.
The bill’s a response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that opened the door for freer spending by certain special interest groups. That kind of third-party spending had been banned in Alaska.
The House shook up what had appeared to be a low-key trudge toward adjournment Sunday, eventually approving a bill – after first defeating it – to change Alaska’s system of taxing oil and gas production together.
