Governor Palin 4 President

Anchorage, AK -- The State of Alaska has moved to intervene in a federal court case in which the Native Village of Point Hope seeks to rescind dozens of leases issued by the federal government under an off-shore oil and gas lease sale conducted for federal waters in the Chukchi Sea.

Just hours after being sworn into office, Attorney General Dan Sullivan said, “One of my highest priorities as Alaska’s attorney general is to vigilantly safeguard and defend Alaska’s interests, particularly as they relate to economic opportunities for Alaskans and the balance of state and federal rights and responsibilities. This case entails both such interests.”

“The ultimate outcome of this case will likely have enormous economic consequences – either positive or negative – for the state of Alaska and our citizens,” Governor Palin said.

Sullivan added that the state’s intervention is “necessary to protect the state’s interests, which are extensive and cannot be adequately represented by the other parties in this proceeding.” The plaintiffs contend that the decision by the U.S. Mineral Management Service to conduct the lease sale for the Outer Continental Shelf, along with the environmental impact statement underlying that action, violated federal law, including the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit seeks to void all of the leases issued in the sale. If successful, this lawsuit conceivably could set back development of the OCS for decades.

The case was filed in January 2008. The plaintiffs have filed for summary judgment, and responses from the federal government and from intervening parties ConocoPhillips and Shell are due July 17.

In the pleadings filed by Attorney General Sullivan, the state argues that its intervention is now important because of the change in the federal administration this year: “Although the state hopes its interests will continue to be aligned with those of the federal defendants, in an abundance of caution, the state must act to ensure its interests are protected until such time that the Øbama administration’s policy positions are fully articulated.”

The memorandum to the court describes the state’s significant interests in the litigation, observing that the oil and gas industry is the largest part of the private employment sector in Alaska and provides 90 percent of the general fund revenue for state government. “If these activities are curtailed,” the state notes, “Alaska will be harmed by the loss of property tax revenues, employment, and income to local communities.”

Rescission of the leases would curtail not only substantial expenditures necessary to identify desirable tracts in federal Arctic waters but also would have a chilling effect on industry’s willingness to participate in future lease sales off Alaska’s coast and adversely impact development of adjacent state land, according to a statement by Kevin Banks, Acting Director of the Department of Natural Resources’ Oil and Gas Division.

Banks also noted that oil from the Chukchi Sea could lower the unit cost for all oil if shipped through the TransAlaska Pipeline System, thus increasing state royalties and taxes from development on state lands. Eliminating this potential would frustrate the state’s goal of realizing the constitutional imperative for maximizing resources for the benefit of all Alaskans, he said.

HONOLULU - Governor Lingle is calling on Congress and Øbama to fully fund missile defense programs. During a local radio interview, Lingle was asked by a caller about proposed cutbacks in the programs.
Govenror Lingle said Tuesday that a president is obligated to protect the country & spending on missile defense systems should not be reduced. The U.S. plans to store 26 ground-based missile interceptors in Alaska, after decades of research and more than $100 billion spent. But Øbama & Defense Secretary Robert Gates want to halt deployment of 14 more interceptors.

Last Month, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski & Mark Begich were among 6 senators who signed a letter to Øbama opposing the missile defense cuts, writing that:
"major reduction could undermine our emerging missile defense capabilities to protect the US against a growing threat. As you know, the threat from ballistic missiles is significant & on the rise. N Korea's rocket launch, conducted in defiance of international warnings thus cuts leave the U.S. less capable of responding to missile threats. The fact remains that our adversaries continue to invest large sums in the development of these weapons. The question is whether we respond by developing appropriate defenses against them." 

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who also signed the letter, said that it is a "really important program" since it gives the military the "unique capacity to hit a missile in boost phase before it even gets into its normal arc."

Governor Palin said in a statement:
“The United Nations sanctions have failed to stop N Korea’s development of nuclear weapons, & the Øbama cannot afford to be playing catch-up to an irrational dictator like Kim Jong-Il,” “Missile Defense Agency funding must be fully restored in the federal budget to guarantee our protective measures remain the best in the world. Fort Greely plays a crucial role in the nation’s security.”

Full Articles At:
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/833286.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/07/lawmakers-warn-missile-defense-cuts-leave-vulnerable/
http://governorpalin4president.blogspot.com/2009/05/gov-palin-un-has-failed-bama-playing.html

Soldotna, Alaska - Governor Palin today signed legislation that will outlaw unwanted telephone solicitations to cellular phones. The bill was signed at a joint luncheon meeting of the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce.
House Bill 93, sponsored by House Speaker Mike Chenault, adds mobile phones to the “unlawful, unwanted telephone advertisements & solicitations” section of state law. Mobile phone users not wishing to receive solicitations will have the added protection of state law.

The Governor also signed 4 other bills into law, including House Bill 221, which allows the state to participate in the federal Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry. This will bring the state in compliance with this portion of the Secure & Fair Enforcement of Mortgage Lending Act of 2008. HB 221 will give borrowers greater protection from unscrupulous lenders. It was sponsored by Soldotna Representative Kurt Olson.

House Bill 78 is sponsored by the House Labor and Commerce Committee, which is chaired by Representative Olson. The bill extends the Board of Public Accountancy from 2009 through June 30, 2013. The 7-member board regulates & controls applications, licenses, & permits of the accounting profession.

House Bill 175, also sponsored by the House Labor & Commerce Committee, will streamline Alaska statutes to bring them in greater compliance with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners standards. HB 175 will in part allow the director of the Division of Insurance to suspend a license when needed for the protection of the public, provide greater confidentiality requirements & clarify how deposits of an insolvent insurer will be treated.

House Bill 170, also sponsored by House Speaker Chenault, who represents Kenai & Nikiski, repeals the authority established for day fines. Day fines were established by the legislature in 1994, but never implemented. The fines were meant to impose punishment equally across economic levels by basing an offender's fine on a calculation of his daily income. Establishing this calculation proved to be unachievable.

Washington, DC – David Parker, President & CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA) today released the following statement regarding the announcement that Exxon Mobil Corp. & TransCanada Corp. will jointly develop the long awaited Alaska natural gas pipeline:

“As Congress debates energy & climate change, this news couldn’t come at a better time. Clean burning, abundant domestic natural gas currently meets 25% of the nation’s energy needs. And as we head toward a more efficient, low-carbon future in which natural gas will be in even greater demand, these critical Alaskan resources will help all Americans to be able to more cleanly run their homes & power their way of life.”

Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin was also quoted as saying:
"We're sitting here & in a short 2.5 years we have two premier companies in the world moving this process forward, Thank you Gov. Palin, thank you participants & thank you Alaskans."


The American Gas Association, founded in 1918, represents 202 energy companies that deliver clean natural gas throughout the US. There are more than 70 million residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in the US, of which almost 93% — more than 65 million customers — receive their gas from AGA members. Today, natural gas meets 1/4th of the US' energy needs.

http://www.aga.org/Newsroom/news+releases/2009/AGAStatementalaskaNaturalGasPipelineAnnouncement.htm