newsminer.com

With 55 days to go in the legislative session, House Speaker Rep. Mike Chenault expects lawmakers to zero in on how to grasp the federal stimulus package, on passing a state budget and on a handful of bills.

Rep. Mike Hawker, who chairs House Finance, said subcommittees are wrapping up work on budgets this week.

He expected to spend the weekend putting the touches on a committee substitute budget bill that he plans to submit next Monday. A final budget bill could make it to the House floor the second week of March, which is also the rough deadline for state submission of shovel-ready transportation and infrastructure projects to the federal government for funding under the stimulus plan.

Hawker said his staffer Larry Persily has been tasked with delving into the federal stimulus plan.

"Just understanding what's in that federal legislation is Something no one has a grip on," Hawker said.

The lawmakers said there are several ways bits and pieces of the stimulus package could be processed through the state.

Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole and chair of the House Rules Committee, said there is a "general reluctance" in Juneau to accept any federal money the state will have to keep funding in the future.