Anchorage – Bill Walker, Republican candidate for governor, recently filed a public records request against the governor demanding that he make public the results of the AGIA “open season” that closes July 31 and release all records related to his decision to veto SB 305, thereby offering $20 billion in incentives to the North Slope producers to commit gas in the initial open season.

On Wednesday, the governor effectively denied the request to make the open season results public as of August 1, citing logistical concerns in a letter submitted to Walker. On the $20 billion giveaway, rather than release the records, the governor indicated that he would “proceed with the response” to the request but made no commitment to an immediate release.

According to Walker, the governor is hiding behind technicalities in hopes of continuing to stall and delay the process so that he can keep the results and details of his failed plan secret until after the elections.

Today Walker submitted a request for reconsideration and fired back at the governor for attempting to keep Alaskans in the dark about an issue that most believe will determine the course of Alaska’s economic future.

“Instead of standing up for openness and transparency in government, the governor is continuing with the same old political games of delay and deception that have plagued this state for far too long. If he truly had Alaska’s best interests in mind, he would bend over backwards to make this information public,” said Walker in a statement today.

The governor has taken the position that the results of the open season, while available to the governor on July 31, will not become public until after the election in November. According to Bill Walker, this is an indefensible position.

“We have paid over $100 million in public funds into this process, yet the governor clearly has no intention of letting Alaskans know the results out of fear of losing the election. Open and transparent government? Not from this governor who is putting his own ambitions ahead of Alaskans’ right to know.”

Timeline

June 24 – Walker submits records request to the governor

July 7 – The governor submits written refusal to Walker

July 8 – Walker submits request for reconsideration to the governor