HWTR - 02/14/95 HJR 26 - OIL & GAS ROYALTIES  Number 469  REPRESENTATIVE NORMAN ROKEBERG, sponsor of the measure, said this legislation serves as a reminder to Congress that they do not have the unilateral right to amend the Alaska Statehood Act. Alaska has tried since statehood to avoid a confrontation over issues by working with Congress to ensure that any post-statehood amendments to the Statehood Act did not materially diminish the rights conferred to the state of Alaska by the act of admission into the United States. Representative Rokeberg pointed out that Section 28 of the Statehood Act clearly states the formula for sharing bonuses, royalties, and rentals under leases will be distributed 90 percent to Alaska and 10 percent to the U.S. Treasury. He added that this resolution seeks to reinforce Alaska's resolve to protect our right to the 90/10 sharing formula granted by Congress on July 7, 1958. Number 500 REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS would like the sponsor to verify the date that Alaskans voted on the Statehood Compact. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG said he will look into verifying the April date. REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS was excused from the meeting at 5:55 p.m. REPRESENTATIVE MULDER asked the sponsor if Congress was working on legislation to reduce Alaska's royalty share percentage. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG responded that testimony in committee hearings was taken that the preference by the congressional delegation for Committee Substitute for HJR 13 (Oil & Gas) was not have any indication or they preferred not to have the royalty-share mentioned in that particular resolution. Objections were raised. Representative Rokeberg shared the basic premise that we should not diminish any of our revenues. Number 535 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG indicated that in conversations with all three of Alaska's congressional offices, the feeling in Washington, D.C. is that if we are going to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that they would be prepared to revert to a 50-50 split. TAPE 95-4, SIDE B Number 000 REPRESENTATIVE MULDER made a motion for a friendly amendment to delete lines 12 and 13 from page 2. CHAIRMAN BARNES called for the question. Hearing no objection, the motion passed. Number 044 SARA HANNAH, Executive Director of the Alaska Environmental Lobby, Inc., thought that it's not only the state's right but the responsibility of a frugal owner, especially with regard to nonrenewable resources to oversee responsible, respectable development and that Alaska deserves 90 percent of the oil and gas royalties due the state in the Statehood Compact. REPRESENTATIVE MULDER made a motion to move HJR 26(am) out of committee with individual recommendations. CHAIRMAN BARNES called for the question. Hearing no objection, the resolution passed out of committee.