As session wanes, Parnell pushes for priorities

With the clock running down fast on the session, Gov. Sean Parnell is beefing up his push for passage of bills that could serve as a centerpiece to his first-ever campaign for the job later this year.

He's turning more and more to Facebook to get the word out to Alaskans, urging them to lobby their lawmakers for swift action on a scholarship proposal and to rein in a "spending spree" reflected in a capital budget that could hit $3 billion by the time it arrives on his desk.

He's also sending mass e-mails directly to people who have signed up on a list -- and, apparently, to state employees.

Spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Parnell has sent out about three e-mails per month this session to a constituent list, which may include state employees. They can, of course, unsubscribe.

"Facebook is another useful tool to keep constituents informed," she wrote in an e-mail. "He will continue to use it."

House Speaker Mike Chenault said that ability comes with the state's top job.

"The governor has the pulpit -- they call it the bully pulpit in some areas," Chenault said. "If he's concerned about the issues that he thinks moves Alaska forward, than I think he has all the right to (lobby Alaskans)."

The governor's predecessor, Sarah Palin, quickly saw the wide reach of routing position statements directly to the people, circumventing the filter of the Alaska and national media. By the end of her time in office, Alaska reporters were as likely to find out what their governor was up to by logging onto Facebook or Twitter as by trying to reach the former vice presidential candidate's staff.

Midday Tuesday, this went up on Parnell's Facebook page:

"Still working to convince legislators that the Governor's Performance Scholarship proposal will incentivize high schoolers to earn scholarships by taking a more rigorous curriculum than what's now required to graduate. Will improve graduation rate and readiness for the workforce -- time for legislators to get this done!"

And later Tuesday, this one:

"The State Senate today passed a capital budget that would put Alaska on a path to spend about $2.8 billion, including a $380 million General Obligation Bond package. This level of spending is not only unsustainable, it is more funding than can possibly get out on the streets timely to put Alaskans to work."

Parnell may not have the same readership, but he does need to reach out to Alaskans to demonstrate his strong push for key legislation that he introduced this session and that lawmakers aren't moving too quickly on. After all, there's an election seven months away. While Parnell has the boost of an incumbent, he's never run for governor before, stepping up to the job when Palin abruptly resigned two and a half years into her first term.

It isn't the only way he's reaching out.

Parnell is keeping a more flexible schedule, Leighow said, and meeting daily with members of the Legislature's leadership -- usually defined as the Finance Committee co-chairmen of each body, as well as the House speaker and Senate president.

And for now, he's not talking specifics about vetoes.

"The governor is committed to a reasonable capital budget," Leighow wrote. "Until the final budget is before him, he won't comment on vetoes."

Chenault said the governor hasn't laid out a max for capital spending, and that it's hard to say just what may draw out that red pen. He also hinted that the governor could have a hard time politically with whacking projects that fall under his own priorities -- families, safe communities, solid infrastructure, jobs and education.

"The Senate sent us over a big bill," he acknowledged. "There's a lot of needs across the state met in it, but there are also needs the House members see. He hasn't made it clear yet on what he would veto. I don't know what his criteria would be, if he decides to."

Parnell's priorities haven't waivered, but legislators haven't bought in unequivocally, either. In several cases, lawmakers say the governor's ideas are solid, but they'd like a chance to tinker with the details.

Chenault said Wednesday that some of the governor's legislation should pass, and the governor is right to push for his priorities.