Alaska State Legislature
News from the Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, (907) 258-8184
Jerry Ritter, (907) 258-8164
716 West 4th Avenue, Suite 510
Anchorage, AK 99501
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality Line: 1-800-478-6540

Legislators Defend State’s Rights

Western Governors’ Association Resolution Criticized

For Immediate Release: Monday, September 21, 1998 Contact: Jerry Ritter or Wendy Lindskoog at (907) 343-2401.

Anchorage – Calling it a flawed document that lacked legislative input, legislators attending the Council of States Governments-West Public Lands Committee session on Monday said the Principles for Environmental Management in the West, adopted by the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) in June, did not go far enough in protecting state’s rights.

"The Western Governors’ Association left Western legislators completely out of the loop in developing this important policy statement," said Representative Scott Ogan, Chair of the Alaska House Resources Committee. "We feel the position they took was a middle of the road approach that would compromise state’s rights on a variety of environmental issues."

Representative Scott Ogan offered his own resolution affirming states’ constitutions. The resolution asks the federal government to amend any statute, law or regulation that violates states’ constitution. Public Lands Committee members voted to recommend this resolution to the CSG-West Executive Committee for adoption.

The CSG-West Executive Committee will meet Tuesday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Discovery Ballroom at the Hotel Captain Cook. The committee will take up several resolutions generated from committee meetings during CSG-West’s 51st annual convention. (Reporters note: resolutions will likely be taken up between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.)

CSG-West is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization of Western State legislators dedicated to provide a regional platform for cooperation and collaboration among Western state legislatures.

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Broadcast Note: Radio actualities are available on the House Actuality Line at (800) 478-6540.
 = Scott Ogan, 121 K = Norman Rokeberg, 124 K

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