by Bob Boerner
The 25th Alaska Legislature wrapped up its first session on time on May 16, having addressed a wide variety of important legislative priority issues.
The biggest item on the agenda was Governor Sarah Palin's AGIA - the Alaska Gas Line Inducement Act, which the Legislature passed substantially as the administration requested. The AGIA sets out guidelines for companies wishing to compete for the right to build a gas line in the State of Alaska.
The Legislature passed an omnibus anti-crime bill, which tightens up on state laws relating to sexual offenders, incarcerated criminals, traffickers in prostitution, and other areas of the law, closing loopholes and protecting innocent victims. And, it passed ethics legislation that addresses many of the critical issues of the legislative and administrative branches.
The Legislature was not able to reach agreement on several issues including education funding and the formula that distributes state funds to school districts and classrooms throughout the state; revenue sharing with local communities; and the funded liability accruing to the public employees' and teachers' retirement systems.
Perhaps the most newsworthy story in 2007 was the federal investigation into bribery and corruption in the Legislature. The U.S. Department of Justice recently revealed VECO Corporation, an oil pipeline service and construction company, was offering state legislators bribes to influence decisions worth tens of billions of dollars.
Two top executives of VECO Corporation have pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges and three state lawmakers they are accused of bribing are awaiting trial. Other elected officials have yet to face charges, though the U.S. Department of Justice says they participated in the schemes. A fourth state legislator faces separate federal bribery allegations.
[Bob Boerner is NCSL's liaison to the Alaska Legislature.]
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