2001-01-12                     Senate Journal                      Page 0066
This bill is modeled after Minnesota's law for penalties for violation of                           
occupational safety and health standards and makes a clear statement                                
that worker fatalities due to violations of workplace safety laws are                               
intolerable. I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                               
                                                                                                    
       Sincerely,                                                                                   
       /s/                                                                                          
       Tony Knowles                                                                                 
       Governor                                                                                     
                                                                                                    
SB 32                                                                                             
SENATE BILL NO. 32 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                    
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                               
                                                                                                    
              "An Act relating to the Right-of-Way Leasing Act;                                    
          and providing for an effective date."                                                     
                                                                                                    
was read the first time and referred to the Resources and Finance                                   
Committees.                                                                                         
                                                                                                    
The following fiscal information was published today:                                               
 Fiscal Note No. 1, zero, Department of Natural Resources                                           
                                                                                                    
Governor's transmittal letter dated January 12:                                                     
                                                                                                    
Dear President Halford:                                                                             
                                                                                                    
The Right-of-Way Leasing Act, enacted in 1972, provides the                                         
authority to the Department of Natural Resources to lease state land                                
for oil and gas pipelines. Leases for the several pipelines, the Trans-                             
Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), Endicott, Kuparuk, Oliktok and                                       
Milne Point, are all due to expire in May 2004. In anticipation of these                            
expirations, now is the time to make needed changes to the Leasing                                  
Act as proposed in this bill I transmit today.                                                      
                                                                                                    
This bill increases the maximum term of right-of-way lease renewals                                 
from the current 10 years to 30 years, making the renewal term                                      
consistent with that of federal grants of right-of-way for oil and gas                              
pipelines. Longer renewal periods will result in significant savings of                             
time and money to industry and the state.