A new committee, but is something else up?
Senate President Ben Stevens, R-Anchorage, on Wednesday introduced a resolution creating a special committee on gas development in the Senate. The new committee would include members of the Senate Finance and Resources committees and would be responsible for reviewing the contract.
The committee would include Sens. Lyda Green, R-Wasilla; Gary Wilken, R-Fairbanks; Con Bunde, R-Anchorage; Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River; Bert Stedman, R-Sitka; Tom Wagoner, R-Kenai; Ralph Seekins, R-Fairbanks; and Stevens.
Democrats include Sens. Lyman Hoffman of Bethel, Albert Kookesh of Angoon, Donny Olson of Nome, and Kim Elton of Juneau.
Seekins has been named chairman. Green and Wagoner were named co-chairs.
Missing from the list is North Pole Republican Sen. Gene Therriault, chairman of the Joint Legislative Budget and Audit Committee and a key player in the ongoing oil and gas negotiations. Some are saying Stevens’ move is an attempt to neutralize Therriault’s close scrutiny of the plan.
The committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
News-Miner reporters Stefan Milkowski and Eric Lidji bring you up-to-date info about the governor's oil tax and
the gas line plans as well as tossing in some tidbits that have nowhere else to go.
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