newsminer.com

Protesting federal "strings," attached to stimulus funding, Gov. Sarah Palin said she doesn't want nearly half the estimated $930 million Alaska is eligible for.

"Will we chart our own course, or will Washington (D.C.) engineer it for us?" Palin said.

She expected to file an appropriations bill this afternoon accepting about $251.5 million in stimulus funds, coupled with allocations of $262.6 million already requested for transportation and aviation projects for a total state take of about $514.1 million.

Missing in her bill will be millions for education, especially under Title One, energy projects including some weatherization funding, and social services, all funds that Palin said are contingent on the state increasing the size of government, chipping in more dollars, or passing new laws that Alaskans might not want.

In a press conference Thursday morning, Palin said she looks forward to a public discussion in the Legislature about other funding.

She said she hopes the Legislature will have enough time to take up the stimulus issues before an April 3 deadline for her to accept the federal money. It's unclear still if the Legislature will have additional time to evaluate the funds.

"I would hope that's going to be enough time," Palin said. She also said she won't "get myself in a box" by saying she will or will not veto measures by the Legislature accepting more money than she is advising.

Legislative leaders have already questioned how Palin expects them to address several in-state natural gas development bills and other matters introduced halfway through the 90-day session. Her office issued a press release stating she doesn't see a need to call a special session offering lawmakers more time to deal with the stimulus package, energy, tighter state budgets and more.

At the press conference, Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, supported what he said is responsible restraint on the governor's part.

Palin's administration said the details of what she does and doesn't plan to accept will be made available online once the bill is transmitted to the Legislature.

Her legislation will request $252.5 million for capital projects, including:

• $20.7 million for education and job training;

• 68.6 million for water and sewer projects;

• $3 million for the Alaska Vocational Training Center;

• $2.5 million for Fire Fuels and Forest Management;

• 39.6 million for public housing projects through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation; and

• $116 million for the University of Alaska Fairbanks' research vessel.