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.

Bills from local legislators signed in Wasilla

House Bill 102, sponsored by Rep. Eric Croft, D-Anchorage, adopts the so-called "Vermont Carry" position on carrying concealed weapons. Unlike every other state in the nation, Vermont never enacted laws to make it illegal to carry a concealed weapon. Under this bill, Alaska law is changed to allow anyone who may legally carry a firearm to also carry it concealed without having to obtain a special permit. The possession of a firearm at courthouses and other government buildings, school yards, bars and domestic violence shelters will continue to be prohibited. Alaskans may still obtain a concealed carry permit if they want reciprocity with other states or want to continue to be exempt from background checks when purchasing firearms.

House Bill 177, sponsored by Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak/Mat-Su, resolves an existing barrier to reciprocity for concealed-carry permit holders from other states to be automatically considered permit holders in Alaska. The bill also directs the Department of Public Safety to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states so Alaska permit holders can carry concealed handguns in those states as well.

House Bill 226, sponsored by Stoltze, aligns Alaska's definition of organic agricultural products with the federal definition. The bill creates the Alaska Organic Certification Program within the Department of Natural Resources, providing in-state certification for organic agricultural producers, processors and handlers.

Senate Bill 26, sponsored by Sen. Kim Elton, R-Juneau, and Sen. Robin Taylor, R-Wrangell, relates to compensation for state employees who are called to active duty. Under the bill, the governor could authorize state employees who are members of the armed forces to continue to receive the equivalent of their state compensation and some of all of their benefits if called to active duty. The bill is retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001.

Senate Bill 41, sponsored by Sen. Lyda Green, R-Wasilla, criminalizes Medicaid fraud and provides tough penalties to those who try to defraud the Medicaid system. Error rates and fraud are estimated to account for overpayments of between $70 million and $170 million each year in Alaska, according to Green. The bill requires independent audits that will create more accountability from providers, recipients and the Department of Health and Social Services in the administration of the Medicaid program.

Senate Bill 45, also sponsored by Green, seeks to make the work of the Alaska Legislative Budget and Audit Committee more effective by making it a crime to hinder the work of the committee. It also precludes hiring a person to state service if the person has been convicted of hindering the committee.

Senate Bill 146, sponsored by Sen. Gretchen Guess, D-Anchorage, allows the Division of Motor Vehicles to issue a special vehicle license plate commemorating Alaska veterans. The division currently offers veteran license plates, but they are available only to qualified veterans. This bill would allow non-veterans to purchase, for a $100 surcharge, new special commemorative plates. Proceeds from the sale of the plates is to be used by the Legislature to fund programs that benefit veterans.

Senate Bill 148, sponsored by Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage, amends current law governing allowable absences for the Permanent Fund Dividend by allowing individuals serving in the armed forces up to 180 days of time outside Alaska each year, in addition to time on active duty. The provision also applies to spouses, dependent minors or disabled dependents who accompany the member of the armed services.

Senate Bill 177, sponsored by Sen. Ben Stevens, allows individuals who have retired under the Alaska Public Employees Retirement System or the Alaska Teachers' Retirement System to continue to receive the 10-percent Alaska cost of living allowance if the individual is called to duty outside Alaska.

House Bill 267, sponsored by Rep. Vic Kohring, R-Wasilla, expands the bonding powers of the Alaska Railroad Corporation to provide financing for the acquisition, construction, improvement, maintenance, equipping and operation of a natural gas pipeline for the transportation of natural gas recovered from the North Slope. The bill grants Legislative approval of issuance of tax-exempt bonds up to $17 billion for the project.

House Bill 28, also by Kohring, modifies the application process and requirements to receive royalty modifications for uneconomic oil and gas fields. The current structure, according to Kohring, is complicated, burdensome and an ineffective tool to encourage new development in fields that would otherwise not be developed.

House Bill 69, also sponsored by Kohring ensures that the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has the authority and discretion needed to regulate shallow gas drilling while also providing for human safety and environmental protection.