House Majority announces leadership positions

ANCHORAGE -- The House Majority met late into the evening Thursday night to decide leadership positions for the upcoming 24th Legislature.

Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez, was selected by his peers to be the new House Speaker.

"I'm very pleased to be chosen to serve as the new Speaker of the House by my fellow members. I look forward to working with all members of the House, in both the majority and minority caucuses, to move the state forward," Harris said of his new position. "I respect the work that Speaker Kott has done and I will continue to look to him for help and guidance as we move toward the new session."

The outgoing Speaker, Rep. Pete Kott, R-Eagle River, will become the new chairman of the Legislative Council.

Other leadership positions remained the same, with Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, Rep. Norm Rokeberg, R-Anchorage, and Rep. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, retaining their positions from the 23rd Legislature.

Coghill will maintain his role as Majority Leader, Rokeberg is again chairman of the House Rules Committee and McGuire will continue to chair the House Judiciary Committee, which has now been elevated to a leadership position.

"Leadership transition is always tense, but I think that the process went well. It was a close race for leadership but we came out with a well-balanced, strong leadership team and committee structure that balances the strengths of the members and the regions of the state," Coghill said of Thursday's meeting.

House Finance Committee leadership was also decided and Rep. Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, and Rep. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, were chosen to co-chair the committee.

"I'm pleased and honored to be selected as one of the co-chairs of the House Finance Committee. Alaska faces a number of financial challenges and with the new organization we've put together we look forward to tackling the issues facing our state," Chenault said.

Meyer said, "These are very exciting times, with President Bush being re-elected and having a Republican majority at both the national level and the state level. The gas pipeline and ANWR are looking better and better for Alaska, which will create more jobs in communities throughout the state, and I'm looking forward to being a part of leadership during this exciting time for Alaska."

Other members of the House Finance Committee are Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak/Mat-Su; vice chair, Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anchorage; Rep. Richard Foster, D-Nome; Rep. Jim Holm, R-Anchorage; Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Fairbanks, and Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch, R-Juneau.