Legislature approves Hollis French for AOGCC spot

Sen. Hollis French addresses a joint session of the Alaska Legislature during debate about confirmations of the governor's appointees, April 17, 2014. (Photo by Skip Gray/Gavel Alaska)
Hollis French addresses a joint session of the Alaska Legislature in 2014. The former senator was approved for an Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission seat at a similar session Tuesday. (Photo by Skip Gray/Gavel Alaska)

The Legislature approved Gov. Bill Walker’s appointment of Hollis French to serve on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Tuesday. French, who served on the commission since July, was confirmed by a 35 to 24 vote.

Anchorage Democratic Rep. Les Gara said he couldn’t imagine a more qualified commissioner.

“He’s served with honesty for much of the past year,” Gara said of French, a former state senator and oil worker. “And he’s served with perhaps more experience than any public member who’s ever been recommended for the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.”

Eagle River Republican Sen. Anna MacKinnon voted against French’s appointment. She said French wrongly tried to get the commission jurisdiction over a recent gas leak in Cook Inlet.

“He should not be advocating for additional jurisdiction from his position,” she said. “He should bring a concern to the Department of Law and let the administration move forward if they believe through the legislative process that there should be additional responsibilities given to AOGCC.”

MacKinnon also said French wrongly claimed that energy companies Hilcorp and Armstrong endorsed his appointment.

The Legislature approved 100 other Walker appointments, including Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth.

The only rejected appointment was Drew Phoenix for the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights.

Andrew Kitchenman

State Government Reporter, Alaska Public Media & KTOO

State government plays an outsized role in the life of Alaskans. As the state continues to go through the painful process of deciding what its priorities are, I bring Alaskans to the scene of a government in transition.

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