State Senate, House, Still at Impasse Over Capital Budget

Senate Gavels In for Less Than 10 Minutes

April 25, 2011|By Lori Tipton | Channel 2 News

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — After taking a break for the holiday weekend, state lawmakers returned to Juneau for Day 8 of the special legislative session. House and Senate leaders are still at an impasse over the capital budget.

The House gaveled in this morning, then recessed, waiting for the Senate to send it a capital budget, but that didn't happen.

The Senate gaveled in this afternoon and members were in session for less than 10 minutes before the Senate adjourned for the day.

Of the 10 items on the Governor's special session list, five bills have passed and await transmittal to Governor Sean Parnell. Those include:

- SB 84 Vocational Education Funding

- SB 76 Supplemental Spending

- HB 24 Extending the Regulatory Commission of Alaska

- HB 126 Extending other boards and commissions, including the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board

- SB 42 Authorizing the Alaska Energy Authority to take steps toward building a Susitna/Lower Watana hydroelectric project.

The operating budget, HB 108, and the state mental health budget, HB 109, await further action in a six-member conference committee. One issue is funding for the controversial Coastal Management program.

Three bills await action in the Senate Finance Committee: HB 106, the controversial coastal management bill; HB 104, the governor's measure that would provide a method for funding his Alaska Performance Scholarship program (now known as the Alaska Merit Scholarship program); and the major source of contention -- SB 46, the capital budget bill.

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