|
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
A couple of
weeks ago Alaska Governor Sean Parnell declared his desire to see the
bi-partisan coalition in the state senate broken up, and vowed to work to elect
more Republicans who side with him on oil issues.
Currently,
there are 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats in the senate, and for the last
half-dozen years many of them joined together to form a majority. The
most recent legislature saw four republicans in the minority, six in the
majority, along with all 10 Democrats. The coalition has always been led by a
Republican, most recently by Kodiak's Gary Stevens, who has served as president
for the past four years.
-- (Stevens 1 20 sec "What do I think of the governor's ... to make big oil
happy.")
Stevens
says that the members of the coalition are well aware that the oil industry is
the lynchpin of the state of Alaska's economy:
-- (Stevens 2 17 sec "There's a misunderstanding out ... treated fair in this
whole thing.")
With the
new redistricting plan in effect for this fall's election, there could be
substantial changes to the make up of both the house and the senate. But even
if the senate wasn't evenly split as it is now, Stevens says he thinks there
would still be a desire for a coalition majority:
-- (Stevens 3 27 sec "I think there would be ... of that caucus would have a
veto.")
The ad hoc
group "Backbone," which had originally formed to check British Petroleum's
attempt at gaining more control on the North Slope through the generosity of
then-Governor Tony Knowles, has re-formed to support the bipartisan coalition
in the senate. Stevens says he's known many of the members over the years:
-- (Stevens 4 41 sec "There are several I've known ... people will listen to
them.")
Backbone
has not registered to raise or spend money on behalf of candidates and said it
will rely on raising grassroots support.
###
|
