House fails to pass commission change

The Alaska House on March 6 failed to pass a bill requiring the public member on the state’s three-member oil and gas commission possess a “fundamental understanding” of the oil industry.

Sponsor Rep. Vic Kohring, R-Wasilla, said given the complexities of the industry and the sheer volume of work before the commission, he didn’t want new members to have to receive “on-the-job training” for the position.

Kohring said the language in the bill was left purposefully vague in order to allow for the greatest pool of candidates. But opponents of the measure said it was neither necessary nor good policy to limit public participation on the commission.

The Alaska Oil and Gas Commission Conservation Commission regulates the state’s petroleum industry. The other members must be a petroleum engineer and a geologist.

—The Associated Press