(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Friday, Governor Bill Walker informed President Barack Obama and his administration of Alaska’s energy-rich potential in a series of briefings at the White House.

Governor Walker and six other newly elected governors from Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas met in the White House with President Obama and his Cabinet members.

Governor Walker in Washington D.C.
Governor Bill Walker informed President Barack Obama and his administration of Alaska’s energy-rich potential in a series of briefings at
the White House on Fri., Dec. 5.
Photo courtesy Office of the Governor

Governor Walker and the governors-elect had lunch with Vice President Joe Biden, followed by briefings and discussions with Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Secretary of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy.

The governors ended the day in the Oval Office with an hour-long discussion with President Obama, who expressed interest in infrastructure projects.

“It was a very substantive series of meetings,” Governor Walker said. “I had the opportunity to discuss with President Obama and his Cabinet the importance and benefits of an all-Alaska gas line. President Obama seemed very receptive to the idea, and was surprised to hear that Alaska has the highest cost of energy in the nation. It is actually counterintuitive; we have so much energy and we don’t use it.”
Governor Walker said he is pleased to have been able to open a dialogue with the Obama administration about its desire for more infrastructure in the United States and Alaska’s ability to fulfill energy needs.

“We will be able to meet that with an all-Alaska gas line,” Governor Walker said. “Today’s meetings opened the door for potential opportunities to expedite the process for achieving an all-Alaska gas line.”

Also on Friday, Governor Bill Walker released the budget given to him by Governor Sean Parnell on December 1.

“As part of our commitment to having an open and transparent government, we are releasing the Parnell administration’s Work-In-Progress budget,” said Governor Walker, “We appreciate the effort that the previous administration put in to giving us a starting point.”

The documents associated with the Parnell Work-In-Progress budget can be found at the following link: https://omb.alaska.gov/html/budget-report/fy-2016-budget/parnell-work-in-progress.html

In order to meet the December 15 statutory deadline, Governor Walker plans to submit the Parnell operating budget plan—without endorsement.

The Walker team is currently working on the budget, and will take into account recommendations by the transition team.

“We will not have as many capital projects on December 15 as the outgoing administration has in its proposal,” said Office of Management and Budget Director Pat Pitney. “But we anticipate changes in the amendment process. We want to carefully evaluate all capital expenditures.”

The Walker administration said they will continue to refine its budget proposal after the December 15th deadline.

“The new budget, fully endorsed by Governor Walker, will be submitted in advance of the February 18 amended budget deadline,” Pitney said. “We respect and desire full legislative deliberation. We’re working to get our budget to legislators as early as possible,” Pitney said.

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News: 

Office of Governor Bill Walker
www.gov.state.ak.us

 

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