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A bill that would allow cities around Alaska to compete to build a new legislative hall for Alaska was the subject of an emotional hearing in the Legislature on Thursday.

House Bill 54 is the third in a series of capital-move-related bills under consideration in the Legislature this year, all sponsored by Southcentral representatives. It was introduced at the start of the 2007 session.

The bill drew strong, and in some cases impassioned, responses from Juneau residents at a hearing before the House State Affairs Committee.

Juneau resident Albert Judson called the bill destructive to the state. Audio: Albert Hudson Testimony

"I see this bill dividing people. I see this bill chopping people in half. I see people fighting each other when it is a useless waste of time," he said.

Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Lynn, R-Anchorage, called Judson's 10-minute testimony the most eloquent speech he'd heard in five years in the Legislature.

Judson said the mostly Anchorage-area legislators who were pushing the bill and a capital move were going against the will of their own constituents. Every district in Anchorage voted against the capital move and for the FRANK Initiative, which requires public notice and approval of the cost before a move could take place.

House Bill 54 would repeal the FRANK Initiative.

"I have to say the Anchorage representatives are out of line with the wishes of the people of Anchorage," Judson said.

Gov. Sarah Palin said later she'd support repealing the FRANK Initiative and would take it on her administration's shoulders to let the public know the cost of a move.

"You've got to be honest with the public about how much it will cost," she said.

She said she didn't object to taking away the public's right to vote on a capital move, however, saying the Legislature would listen to the public before making such a decision anyway.

House Bill 54's sponsor, Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Wasilla, said Juneau shouldn't fear the bill, because it could enable the city to show it was the best location for a capital. He also spoke frequently of the bill's benefit of bringing the meetings of the Legislature closer to the bulk of the population.

Neuman said the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, where he's from, would like to bid, and he's already been talking with a private developer interested in constructing a legislative hall there.

"I wouldn't have brought this forward if this was just pie in the sky," he said.

If Neuman's bill were to pass, it would delegate to the Legislative Council most of the implementation of the competition for a new capital, including deciding between applications.

The Legislative Council is made up of members of the House and Senate leaderships, and is chaired by Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage, who has advocated moving the capital.

The Legislative Council is one of the few committees that does not have proportional representation. That is, House and Senate minorities get just a single seat on the council.

"I'm obviously concerned about the makeup of that committee," said Rosemary Hagevig, vice chairwoman of the Alaska Committee.

The bill was held in the House State Affairs Committee for further discussion.

• Contact reporter Pat Forgey at 586-4816 or patrick.forgey@juneauempire.com.