Senate president: No flap with Palin
JUNEAU - Senate President Lyda Green says recurring disputes between her and Gov. Sarah Palin are nothing personal.
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Disagreements between the two Wasilla Republicans living about five miles apart simply comes down to policy, Green said Wednesday.
"It is the obligation and duty of a legislator to question, disagree, discuss and come to a conclusion, and that is certainly something I've tried to do," she said.
"If it's been viewed as something else I apologize for that, because that's certainly not the intent," she said.
Green cited last fall's special session on oil taxes as an example. She thought it was premature to hold the session that ultimately led to a tax increase.
Palin was out of town Wednesday and unavailable for comment.
But during the special session last fall, Palin addressed the issue of her relationship with Green.
"Sen. Green and I are probably coming at some of these resources issues from different perspectives," Palin said at the time. "I have to believe at the end of the day we have the same goal for Alaska: progress, productivity, putting Alaskans to work."
Each has periodically said the recurring rift is being overplayed as a turf battle between the state's two most powerful elected women.
But the most recent spat between the two wasn't about policy. It was centered on when Palin would deliver her State of the State address Tuesday.
What started out as a tug-of-war over a start time of 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., ended up with Green's offer for a 4 p.m. delivery. Palin accepted.
After the speech, Green then praised Palin for the central theme of her speech: that the state needs to become steadily more self sufficient.
But with the 90-day session just a few days old, there will be plenty of time for more public disagreement.
Heavy-hitting items such as how to save the state surplus, progress on the state's gas pipeline and funding public education could produce more differences.