Gov. Bill Walker has introduced legislation clarifying the powers of the attorney general when settling litigation related to Alaska’s oil and gas resources.
The two-page bill was offered Friday, and it requires the attorney general to confirm that a settlement is narrow in scope and in compliance with existing law.
The catalyst for the bill was a lawsuit that Walker brought as a private citizen. The suit challenged a settlement between the State of Alaska and Exxon to develop natural gas reserves at Point Thomson. Since the start of the legislative session, Republicans in the majority have criticized Walker for keeping the litigation active, instead of offering a legislative remedy. Walker dropped the suit on Friday, in conjunction with the filing of his bill.
agutierrez (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.209.1799 | About Alexandra
