A Citizen’s Guide

So are lawmakers going home June 9 or what?

The administration is still refusing to comment officially on whether the governor plans to call a second special session immediately following the current session.

The scuttlebutt in the halls, though, says Gov. Frank Murkowski is likely to give lawmakers a break for a few weeks.

The Legislature has been in session almost nonstop since Jan. 9, and lawmakers are starting to get testy. (Oh, it is so fun to watch.)

The 30-day limit on special sessions runs out at midnight on Thursday. Murkowski can call a second special session for the next morning if he wants them to keep working on the proposed gas contract with Exxon Mobil, BP and ConocoPhillips.

Forcing lawmakers to stay in the Capitol until their work is done could speed up ratification of the contract, but it could also work against the governor as nerves fray and resentment grows.

And Murkowski only gets one shot at this. He’s up for re-election in November and he needs a deal on gas to boost his approval rating, which is currently the second lowest in the country in one survey. A thumbs-down on the contract could be lights out for Murkowski’s political career.

So instead of a lock-in, Murkowski is expected to let them go home and call them back in mid-July for a couple of weeks to finish work on the Stranded Gas Development Act amendments. He could then corral them again in September for the final vote on the contract.

The date July 10 has been mentioned more than once as the possible start for the second special session. That would be exactly 60 days since the administration officially began collecting public comment on the gas contract.

Sen. Hollis French, though, said he doesn’t trust talk of legislators getting a break.

He says there’s no benefit to the governor of letting lawmakers go home where their constituents are likely to give them an earful against the contract. Keeping lawmakers in Juneau where they’re surrounded by oil industry lobbyists and administration pitchmen would better suit the governor, he said.