Resources Approves Joint In-State Gasline Development Team Bill

Speaker’s HB 369 advances to House Finance Comm., calls for gasline online by 2015

Wednesday, March 10, 2010, Juneau, Alaska – The House Resources Committee this evening passed their committee substitute for House Bill 369, House Speaker Mike Chenault’s, R-Nikiski, proposal creating the Joint In-State Gasline Development Team.

The committee amended the bill to focus the function of the team, taking out the proposed steering committee. The substitute bill, or CS, also made minor changes to clarify and further define the legislation.

Speaker Chenault says he appreciates the work done by the committee and agrees that the bill as it stands now still accomplishes his original goal: to get an in-state gasline online by 2015. “The Resources Committee identified areas of concern and made the bill better,” Speaker Chenault said. “I’m grateful for the work put in on the bill, and look forward to seeing it work its way through the process. We heard from committee members, and we all agreed that it’s time to focus on bringing forward an in-state line that serves all areas of the state. It was my intent to see the state unify the various agencies and assets at our disposal, and the substitute kept the emphasis in the legislation on that.”HB 369 next heads to the House Finance Committee.