Boyd’s guide to the art of the legislative hearing

Visit Juneau or your local Legislative Information Office, sit and wait… wait some more for your turn to testify, you’re on “legislative time”

Ken Boyd, Special to PNA

In the 17 years I was with industry, prior to my working for state government, I testified at exactly one legislative hearing (and that one was in Anchorage). It was in the early eighties and the state was proposing that industry had to provide all seismic data it acquired on state land to the state. For free!

Naturally we industry folks thought this was nuts. Despite our well reasoned and sincere testimony the Legislature decided that it wasn’t nuts and from that day forward industry has provided the state with many millions of dollars worth of seismic data. These data are kept confidential and are for the internal use by certain members of the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas.

It was nearly 10 years later when I realized that the state having these data was not so nuts after all.

Testifying before the Legislature is not something that many people aspire to. Most don’t know much about it, even more don’t care. Those that do know about it often try to find some way to avoid it. There are exceptions of course, some think their views are so important that they testify all the time.

Most readers of this newspaper will be better informed than the general public regarding the importance of legislative testimony. I’m sure many of you have spent a lot of quality time at the LIO.

The LIO is the Legislative Information Office and there are a number of them scattered around the state. The LIO serves several functions (at least it does in Anchorage), including being a repository for information on current legislation and also providing office space for some local legislators.

For most of us it’s the place to go to teleconference with Juneau when the committee chair won’t let you call in from your house or office. There are exceptions. I once testified on a bill from my lanai at a condo in Hawaii.

I know people that have given testimony from payphones in Sitka when the planes couldn’t get into Juneau.

Given the choice (which you will not be) choose Hawaii.

Exceptions are rare and, for the most part, the LIO is a place to sit and wait, and wait some more for your turn to testify. Waiting to spend three minutes talking into a small black microphone.

The Legislature runs on its own special clock and “legislative time” has very little to do with time as we ordinary folks think of it. This is especially true toward the end of session when time ceases to have any meaning whatsoever. When your turn finally comes stay focused, talk in complete sentences and have a point. Just kidding.

For the timid, the cheap and the rest of the general public there is an alternative way to pretend you are involved. It is Juneau’s attempt to justify the capitol being far away from almost everybody. It’s on TV and it is called Gavel to Gavel.

I have always called this “Grovel to Grovel”. Don’t get me wrong, I think G to G (you pick what the “G” means) is a great idea and a wonderful public service.

If you watch (or participate in) as many budget hearings as I have, you will understand my feelings of what the “G” stands for. G to G allows everyone to watch government “in action”.

G to G, with its cameras recording every response, presents a somewhat sanitized version of what hearings can be like. Nobody (okay, almost nobody) wants to look weird on TV, so most of the folks are on their best behavior.

The LIO is the minor leagues when it comes to giving testimony, and with G to G you’re just a spectator. If you want to play in the “major leagues” or be in “the show” there is only one alternative. You have to go to Juneau.

If baseball analogies make you nauseous I’m sorry, but I grew up in New York and Yankee Stadium is bigger, brighter, drier and way more fun than Juneau. At Yankee Stadium the games start on time, the players know the rules and there is a clear winner. And you can drive to it.

There are no airline competitors, so your $400 bag o’ peanuts flight is your only choice. If “the journey is the reward” then you will feel well rewarded going to Juneau. But, Hey!, you made it. You’re in Juneau. Where all the action is. Now, it’s MY turn (you think) to influence policy and change the world.

Well, maybe. This pretty much depends on the issue you are involved with and, perhaps, who you represent.

If you want to take a kid hunting, cut some agency budgets, give land to the University, open ANWR (DUH), move the capital or propose a new revenue producing scheme then you probably are in luck. Expect a seat at the table.

If you work for state government (issue irrelevant), or a BIG oil company (ditto) or want to get into subsistence, school exit exams, or propose using the Permanent Fund for something other than dividends then you may expect a seat in the hallway (perhaps waiting at “the call of the chair”).

This year, say the word “gas” and be prepared to explain yourself. Is your way the highway? Want to go “over the top”, think gas-to-liquids makes sense; believe that an LNG project is really possible? What about a variety of spur lines (from whatever project) to “save” Anchorage or Kenai or wherever from a cold, dark fate.

By all means voice your opinion. Gas is THE issue this session, but please everyone, remember who brought us to the dance. Oil did; so don’t take your eye off the ball. Gas will be some part of our future, but oil will still be our most important resource for a long time.

My message is pretty simple. Even if you don’t have to be, be a participant. Make your voice heard. Watch G to G to get information; but when the time comes, when you think something is nuts, get over to your LIO or head to Juneau and SPEAK UP.