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Session: State Capitol, Room 103 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-4949 Fax: (907) 465-4979 Send E-Mail Interim PO Box 142 Eagle River, AK 99577 Phone: (907) 694-4949 Fax: (907) 694-4948 |
For Immediate Release: February 5, 1999
Contact: Senator Randy Phillips at (907) 465-4949.
Juneau -- Senator Randy Phillips (District L, Eagle River) will direct the Alaska State Senate's work to write the fiscal year 2000 budgets for the resources and military affairs departments, Senate Finance Committee Co-Chair Senator Sean Parnell announced today.
Senator Phillips, who serves on the Senate Finance Committee in the Twenty-First Alaska Legislature, was named chair of the subcommittees responsible for holding hearings and developing budget recommendations for the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
"This is a significant achievement for Eagle River," Senator Phillips said. "The Department of Natural Resources has tremendous responsibility for areas that touch on the financial affairs of almost every Alaskan. And our community has one of the highest concentrations of active duty military and veterans in the state. I'm pleased with the opportunity to help write a budget that can balance the people's needs with the realities of sharply reduced state revenues."
The low price of North Slope crude oil means a $1 billion-plus gap between state income and state expenditures for fiscal year 2000. Last year, the Department of Natural Resources had a budget of $64.5 million and employed 556 people. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs had a budget of $36.4 million, and employed 210 people.
"As subcommittee chair I'll be responsible for detail work of writing budgets for these departments," Senator Phillips said. "That includes reviewing funding requests from agencies, hearing testimony from constituents, the public and department staff, and developing budget recommendations for the full committee to consider."
In addition to his subcommittee assignments, Senator Phillips also serves as Vice Chair of the Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, and as a member of both the Senate State Affairs and the Senate Community and Regional Affairs committees.
"We're fortunate to have such an experienced legislator helping us make the tough decisions regarding our budget," said Senator Parnell. "We have to make some hard choices about how the state should best use our financial resources."