Back to the business of running Alaska after a failed bid for vice president, Republican Gov. Sarah Palin announced a state hiring freeze and called for a 7 percent cut in state expenses. In her Jan. 22 address to the state’s politically split legislature, Palin stressed the need to develop The Last Frontier’s vast energy resources while providing incentives for a more diverse economy.
Palin said education funding would remain intact and a new health care plan would focus on disease prevention and healthy living, including physical education in school curriculums. She also announced law enforcement proposals that would focus on road safety and driving-under-the-influence enforcement, and draw on the National Guard to fill open state trooper positions.
On energy, Palin called for construction within five years of an in-state natural gas pipeline to help Alaskans more cheaply heat their homes, while urging lawmakers to approve infrastructure funding needed to complete the proposed Alaska Gas Pipeline that would ship natural gas from the North Slope to the lower 48 states. Palin also announced a plan to produce 50 percent of the state’s electric power from renewable sources by 2025.
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