Association of Alaska School Boards

 

Legislative Bulletin

 

A weekly digest of activity by the Alaska Legislature and U.S. Congress for AlaskaÕs School Board Members.  AASB Tel. 907-586-1083, Fax 907-586-2995. Executive Director, Carl Rose crose@aasb.org; Editor, John Greely. Review past issues of the Bulletin on the AASB Website at http://www.aasb.org. To unsubscribe send an email requesting the same to jgreely@aasb.org.

 

This bulletin is distributed by email only. School districts should copy for board members not online.

 

June 23, 2006

 

--GOVERNOR CALLS SECOND SPECIAL SESSION

--KEY LEGISLATORS REACT TO SESSION CALL

--UNIONS SUE OVER PENSION PLAN.

--FUNDING BAG ABOUT TO OPEN FOR CAPITAL BUDGET

 

GOVERNOR CALLS SECOND SPECIAL SESSION

 

Governor Frank Murkowski is calling the Alaska Legislature into special session beginning July 12, to consider his proposals to revise oil production taxes and amend the Stranded Gas Development Act.  See the governorÕs statement here:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=2459

 

A 30-day special session on the same issues ended June 8th with no final action on any bill.

 

KEY LEGISLATORS REACT TO SESSION CALL

 

With a primary election just two months away, legislative leaders are split in their assessment of how the House and Senate will react to the governorÕs call of a special session. Here is a report from the Anchorage Daily News:

http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/7890775p-7784159c.html

 

And here is a report from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3336538,00.html

 

UNIONS SUE OVER PENSION PLAN

 

Labor unions representing state employees Thursday asked the courts to stop a new retirement system from going into effect July 1, because they claim the new plan may not qualify for Internal Revenue Service exemptions. See full story here:

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3336538,00.html

 

One administration official calls the claim legal nonsense.

 

FUNDING BAG ABOUT TO OPEN FOR CAPITAL BUDGET

 

State budget officials and attorneys are sifting through hundreds of projects in a $2.5 billion capital budget on Gov. Frank MurkowskiÕs desk and have asked lawmakers to supply backup information on about 75 of them. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/7875614p-7769245c.html