04/03/2002 03:40 PM Senate RES

            HJR 44-ALASKA NATURAL GAS PIPELINE ROUTE                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON announced HJR 44 to be up for consideration.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. LINDA  HAY, staff  to Representative Scott  Ogan, said  HJR 44                                                              
was introduced  to clearly articulate Alaska's  position regarding                                                              
commercialization of  our natural gas reserves.  It was introduced                                                              
at the  request of the Joint  Committee on Natural  Gas Pipelines.                                                              
It received  bi-partisan support  in all  committees in  the House                                                              
and on the floor of the House.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON  said he  only had a  problem with  one section                                                              
and he wanted  the committee to  delete language on page  4, lines                                                              
22 and 23, which was added by Representative Green. He added:                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     I don't  necessarily think  we want to  go out and  tell                                                                   
     the  United States  that we're  going  to stabilize  gas                                                                   
     prices, because  we've already run into  opposition from                                                                   
     some of the  initiatives that have been  brought forward                                                                   
     from  other gas  producing states,  because  in fact  we                                                                   
     might stabilize  prices, but we don't want  to lead with                                                                   
     our chin…                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON  said they  would recess until  he could  get a                                                              
quorum back to take official action.                                                                                            
            HJR 44-ALASKA NATURAL GAS PIPELINE ROUTE                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  TORGERSON   announced   HJR  44  to   be  back   up  for                                                              
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN moved to amend HJR  44 on page 4 to delete lines 22                                                              
and 23 - "WHEREAS  the large volume of gas delivered  to the lower                                                              
48 states  may initially  stabilize gas prices  at a  lower level,                                                              
bringing financial  benefit to the  lower 48 economy;  and". There                                                              
were no objections and it was amended.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN  moved to pass  SCSHJR 44(RES) from  committee with                                                              
individual  recommendations and  zero fiscal  note. There  were no                                                              
objections and it was so ordered.