On Nov. 12, 1986, Alaska’s mayors supported clarifying the Open Meetings Act, which caused controversy in the City and Borough of Juneau after Mayor Ernie Polley held a private, informal meeting with several CBJ members on non-city related matters. Twenty-five mayors from around the state approved the resolution asking the Alaska State Legislature to clarify the act’s standards, moving it on to the Alaska Municipal League for review.
Meanwhile, Gov.-elect Steve Cowper’s new budget finance team started its work, finding new ways to generate new income for the state.
Rep. H.A. “Red” Boucher, D-Anchorage, claimed his opposition to a proposal that would give Alaskans priority in hiring companies that use state lands for resource development took away his chairmanship on the Labor and Commerce Committee for the next session. His opposition came into play when the Democratic majority in the House reorganized the body in a later meeting. Only one other committee member, a Republican, opposed the proposal.
