by The Associated Press
Thursday, March 11, 2010
JUNEAU, Alaska -- The Alaska House has passed an $8.1 billion state operating budget.
The measure, which contains funding conditions for state natural gas pipeline work, now goes to the Senate.
Democrats opposed as shortsighted a provision that offers upfront 30 percent of the money Gov. Sean Parnell wanted for legal, analytical and other work to help the state advance a proposed gas pipeline.
But Republican Mike Hawker calls it fiscally prudent. He says it's not obstructionist and that the rest would come with a "successful" open season.
Some lawmakers previously had chided Parnell's administration for not making clear its need for the millions it wanted for pipeline-related work.
