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            The first of what could be three special legislative sessions this summer kicked off today in Juneau. This first session will be to discus the governor’s plan under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act whether to award the trans-Alaska gasline to T-C Alaska, formerly known as Trans Canada.

            Kodiak Senator Gary Stevens, the senate’s rules committee chair, said there will be hearing in the capital and then at several communities around the state to gather public input:

--          (Gary 1                      38 sec              “… ferret out in the next month or so.”)

            He says the colleagues that he’s talked to are split on the AGIA (ah-GEE-ah) proposal, but they seem ready to hear all the proposals:

--          (Gary 2                      39 sec              “… figure out what the best answer is.”)

            Stevens and many other legislators have been talking about overriding the governor’s recent vetoes of capital projects around the state, including over 4-million-dollars in seismic upgrades to Kodiak schools. He said if an override comes up during the special session, it will be soon:

--          (Gary 3                      25 sec              “… have a session on the veto override.”)

            Stevens said with a second special session about AGIA (ah-GEE-ah) in July and potentially a third in August on the governor’s energy assistance plan, the legislature could be in session all summer. He said there are a lot of legislators who are not “happy campers” over that prospect.

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