Judiciary committees to hear initiative

Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, co-chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said the House and Senate Judiciary committees will hold a joint hearing on the coastal zone initiative to satisfy legal requirements.

The initiative would reestablish a coastal zone management program. The existing program lapsed last year when the House and Senate failed to reach agreement on legislation extending the program.

Signatures were turned in Jan. 17 before the Legislature convened, a requirement to get the initiative on either the primary or general election ballot this year.

At the House Majority press availability Jan. 23, Gatto said House and Senate leadership asked the judiciary committees to hold the meeting, necessary under law. He said public testimony would be taken.

House Majority Leader Alan Austerman, R-Kodiak, said that under the law the Legislature has 30 days from when it goes into session to hold the hearing. Austerman said the House majority caucus has not taken a position on the initiative and won’t until the signatures are certified by the lieutenant governor.

Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, the House minority leader, said Jan. 24 that the issue with the petitions is whether there are the required number of signatures in 30 of the 40 House districts. Speaking at the House minority press availability, Kerttula said she believes the number of signatures gathered in a short period of time during very bad weather indicates the level of interest Alaskans have in restoring the coastal zone program and said she hopes that message will be understood in the Legislature.

—Kristen Nelson