Governor signs bills, announces appointees

WASILLA -- In their first big event after the adjournment of the 23rd Alaska Legislative Session, all of the Valley's delegation was on hand to greet Gov. Frank Murkowski and watch as their bills were signed into law at Wasilla's Armed Forces Honor Garden Wednesday.

Murkowski signed 11 bills into law under a tent at the garden Wednesday, including bills that pertained to shallow gas regulations, concealed-carry laws, organic farming and Medicaid fraud.

Murkowski told the gathered audience the state's economy -- along with the national economy -- was on the way up, but said belt-tightening days were just beginning. He encouraged people to support a return to basic state services as a way to bring the state's budget back into balance.

"We're not going to sacrifice basic services across Alaska," Murkowski said. "We're committed to … trimming down the size of government and increasing the services that are necessary. The things that you can do better on your own, you're going to get a chance to do that."

Murkowski mentioned a plan to replace the state-run Department of Motor Vehicles in Palmer with a facility run by a private contractor as one way to move state duties into the private sector.

In addition to signing several bills into law, Murkowski made two appointments at the Wednesday gathering. He announced that Mike Scott, former Mat-Su Borough manager and current executive director of planning, development and public works for the Municipality of Anchorage, was headed for state offices. Scott will, on June 18, become the Department of Transportation's Central Region Director. According to information from Murkowski's office, Scott will be responsible for oversight of the planning, construction, maintenance, operations and administrative services for the Central region, which includes Bethel, the Aleutian Chain, Kodiak, Anchorage, Mat-Su and the Kenai Peninsula.

As a resident of the borough, Scott said he'd like to get some of the borough-related projects off the shelf and into construction.

Murkowski also took the opportunity to announce who will fill the vacant Palmer District Court judge position. Bill Estelle, a Palmer native and longtime state assistant district attorney, was called from Wednesday's crowd to fill the position.

"I believe that, as a lifelong Palmer resident, Bill Estelle has a very good working knowledge of the demands the District Court in Palmer must handle," Murkowski said in a prepared statement issued after the announcement. "He has served as an assistant district attorney in Palmer and Bethel, so he knows the flow of cases through the court system. He has an extensive background in criminal law and solid trial experience, so I am confident that he will make an excellent district court judge for his hometown."

Palmer District Attorney Roman Kalytiak said Friday his office was losing an asset, but was confident the court system would benefit from Estelle's background and knowledge.

"Our office's loss is the court system and state's gain," Kalytiak said.

Kalytiak said in addition to being an intelligent attorney, Estelle was born and raised in Palmer and is acutely aware of the needs of the community.

This is the second appointment to come from the Palmer office in six months. Assistant District Attorney Jack Smith was appointed to the bench by Murkowski in January. Although Estelle's appointment means the Palmer DA's office is short two prosecutors, Kalytiak is confident the office will benefit from the appointment.

"It … reflects well on the Palmer office," Kalytiak said. "We used to be the most top-heavy office in terms of experience. This … provides an opportunity for the younger attorneys to take up more responsibility."

He added that he was pleased to see more equity among appointments to the bench.

"I'm glad to see the prosecutors are being considered for judicial appointments as well as civil attorneys and defense attorneys," Kalytiak said. "It gives some balance to it."

Estelle, in his brief acceptance speech Wednesday, agreed.

"It's nice to have an administration where being a prosecutor is not a liability," Estelle said.