END OF REGULAR SESSION 2006

End of session means lots of bills going into the limbo file. First thing in the morning on the last day of session, I went over the bills in the Limbo File with Jared Seay. The Limbo File holds House bills that have been amended in the Senate. As Majority Leader, it is my job to bring the bills out for a floor vote to concur or return the bills to the Senate asking them to recede from their action.





Speaker John Harris and I had something in common the last few days of session. Our glasses needed some repairs. I hobbled through one day toward the end of session trying to make my motions on the floor without glasses. Boy it's tough getting old!





Representative Nancy Dahlstrom takes a breaks and visits with Grayson David McGuire Anderson who is already two months old! Can you believe that?

These people were helpful in getting HB 426 passed. HB 426 allows the state to recover medical expenses paid by Medicaid that have third party payors, requires a parent or guardian to apply for Medicaid, and requires people who qualify for Medicare to apply before qualifying for Medicaid. This will save the state over $20 million a year. I will be taking another look at ways to save Medicaid costs over the interim. From left to right: Paul Lisankie, Director, Div of Workers' Compensation; Kris Knaus, Liberty Insurance; Paula Scavera, Dept of Labor; Linda Hall, Director, Division of Insurance, and Charlie Miller, lobbyist for several insurance interests in the state.




Here I am answering questions from the press. They ambushed me outside the Speaker's Office as I came out of the House Chambers.

Representative Jay Ramras gets interviewed by Bill McAllister for the Anchorage 5 o'clock news. He was asking Representative Ramras about his meth legislation which passed on May 5th after both houses adopted the conference committee report.





Robert Dillion from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner was a regular in my office this session. He diligently tried to stay on top of the issues and report them back to the people of Fairbanks and North Pole.



Joe Balash, Chief of Staff for Senator Therriault, and Tom Wright, Chief of Staff for Speaker John Harris discuss the last few days of sesson.





Here's one of the longest sitting legislators, Representative Richard Foster from Nome. His father was a legislator too.



Here's my chief of staff, Rynnieva Moss, watching Richard Foster roasting Mike Kelly for his birthday from the Speaker's Chambers.