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The Alaska Legislature's
top lawyer says the special session is, indeed, over.
Senate President
Gary Stevens of Kodiak had asked attorney Doug Gardner if the Senate needed to adjourn
again, after having done so last Thursday. Under the state constitution, the
Senate could not stay out longer than three days without the concurrence of the
House, so they gaveled back in on Monday just to meet that constitutional requirement.
Later that day, the House adjourned as well.
Gardner, in
a legal memo, says there's no need for the Senate to take any further action because
the special session is over.
At a press
conference after the House adjourned, Majority Leader Alan Austerman of Kodiak criticized
the Senate for its inaction on the oil tax bill.
"One
of the things I think (we) ought to refer back to is when the senate adjourned
last time, and they adjourned because the governor had withdrawn 3001 because
he didn't see progress on it. The Senate had the option at that point in time
in keeping that bill and working it. They even said so much, that the governor
didn't have that right to withdraw that bill. So they had every opportunity
both with the natural gas line that we've been talking about here in the last
couple days, but also with the oil. And I think that's probably the biggest
disappoint and surprise on my part is why they didn't stay and do the work
they're supposed to be doing."
Governor
Parnell has said he has no plans to call legislators back in for a second
special session.
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