01/30/2001 11:45 PM Senate RLS

                     ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                   
                      SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                                  
                         January 30, 2001                                                                                       
                            11:45 p.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Drue Pearce, Chair                                                                                                      
Senator John Cowdery, Vice Chair                                                                                                
Senator Randy Phillips                                                                                                          
Senator Johnny Ellis                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Gene Therriault (Excused absence)                                                                                       
                                                                                                                              
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
APPROVAL OF CONTRACTS                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 01-1, SIDE A                                                                                                             
Number 001                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN DRUE  PEARCE called the Senate  Rules Committee  meeting to                                                          
order at 11:45 p.m.  Present  were Senators Cowdery, Phillips, Ellis                                                            
and Pearce.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PEARCE announced  that two professional service  contracts are                                                            
before the committee  for approval.  The first contract  is with Mr.                                                            
Patrick Coughlin to work  with the Senate Resources Committee on oil                                                            
and  gas  issues  that might  come  before  the  Legislature.    Mr.                                                            
Coughlin  will  work  on  issues  surrounding   the  possibility  of                                                            
commercializing  Alaska North Slope gas - not only  on a natural gas                                                            
pipeline, but  also on questions dealing with all  commercialization                                                            
projects and other business  that pertains to oil and gas that comes                                                            
before the Senate Resources Committee.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELLIS asked if  any work  product by  Mr. Coughlin  will be                                                            
available to all members of the Senate on an equal basis.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PEARCE  said it is her expectation  that all information  will                                                            
be available  to  members of  the Senate.   There may  be some  work                                                            
product that contains  confidential material so Senators  would have                                                            
to keep that information  confidential.  That will  be determined by                                                            
the laws of  Alaska and the information  being made available.   She                                                            
repeated that  it is her expectation that all members  of the Senate                                                            
Resources Committee  who want to be  a party to anything  would have                                                            
access  and that other  members of  the Legislature  will have  that                                                            
access if they so desire.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY moved to approve the contract with Mr. Coughlin.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There  being   no  objection,  CHAIR   PEARCE  announced   that  Mr.                                                            
Coughlin's contract was approved.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PEARCE  informed committee  members  that the second  contract                                                            
before the committee  is with Emil Notti.  Mr. Notti  will work with                                                            
both the  House and Senate  under the direction  of Mr. Ted  Popely,                                                            
the Majority  counsel, through the  Speaker of the House  and Senate                                                            
President.   Mr. Notti will be working  on relationships  within the                                                            
Native  community,  state  and  federal  government   officials  and                                                            
industry leaders.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELLIS  noted that he plans  to support the approval  of this                                                            
contract  but he does  not necessarily  represent  the views  of the                                                            
Minority Caucus.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY moved to approve the contract with Emil Notti.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
There being  no objection, CHAIR PEARCE  announced the contract  was                                                            
approved.   With no further business  to come before the  committee,                                                            
she adjourned the meeting at 11:48 a.m.