Edgmon wraps up legislative session with Unalaska visit

MONICA SOUTHWORTH

September 04, 2008 at 1:04PM AKST

District 37 state House Rep. Bryce Edgmon was on a visit to Unalaska on Aug. 23 following the Aug.7 close of the special legislative session.

During the last session, a decision was made on the governor’s gas line proposal and energy issues resulting in a $1,200 dollar addendum to this year’s Permanent Fund dividend.

“By the time we got done with the TransCanada application, (there was) only a week to consider the energy issue. Within that week’s time the Legislature came away with several short-term relief items designed to provide Alaskans with the means to keep their homes heated and the lights on over the course of the winter,” Edgmon said.

However, Edgmon expressed concern that this relief excludes new residents to Alaska, including teachers who have accepted teaching jobs within the past year.

“My office did a quick survey of schools in District 37, and we found that one in five teachers in Southwest Alaska will not qualify for the energy relief check or the PFD,” Edgmon said. “Recruiting and retaining teachers is an extremely important part of the community and we all know what the role of education is in Alaska.”

Other accomplishments of the session were acts to add $50 million to a renewable energy fund, $60 million for a home energy rebate program, $10.3 million to the bulk fuel loan program that supports smaller communities throughout Alaska and $23 million to the power-cost equalization program for the upcoming year. This increase in funds will move the current cost ceiling from 52.5 cents to one dollar and applies to all utilities that fall in this price range.

“This will help, immensely, a lot of the smaller utilities in the state who’ve seen their utilities rates go way above the 52.5-cent ceiling, with some even at a $1.20 per kilowatt hour,” Edgmon said.

Historically Alaska has 120-day legislative sessions. However the upcoming session will be 90 days, following the change in the previous session.

“In a 90-day period next year with surplus oil money on the table, we’re definitely going to be spending a lot of time on energy,” Edgmon said.

Edgmon says that other issues he will be focusing on include the ferry system – and re-establishing a twice-a-month schedule – and funding capital projects and education. This last session, a bill sponsored by Edgmon was signed into law by Gov. Sarah Palin. In the future, Edgmon hopes to have a bill signing in Unalaska and to have the governor visit.

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