Alaska Lawmakers: Khoring, Get Out (RESIGN!)

[babylonsister]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003351.php

Alaska Lawmakers: Khoring, Get Out
By Laura McGann - June 5, 2007, 11:51 AM

Alaska state lawmakers have had it with one of their own.

Two Republican leaders in the Alaska legislature confronted Rep. Vic Khoring (R-AK) in his home to push him to resign instead of dragging them all down. Khoring has been indicted as part of the wide federal probe into Alaska politicians dealings with oil services company Veco Corp. The Anchorage Daily News reports:

Prosecutors have accused Kohring, a Republican, of selling his vote on the state petroleum tax last year to the Anchorage oil field services company Veco Corp. Kohring and two former legislators also under indictment have pleaded not guilty. Veco executives Bill Allen and Rick Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy, bribery and tax charges. Allen and Smith have since resigned from Veco.

The probe has brushed Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), whose house got a makeover seven years ago under Veco's direction. The senator's son, former Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens, has also been tied to the investigation by local press who concluded he was one of the lawmakers to take cash from Veco executives who recently pled guilty to federal bribery and conspiracy charges.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Kohring needs to go...

especially because the Alaska Legislature will be called back into special session this fall to reconsider the petroleum profits tax which was passed last year. VECO's pressure and the collusion of the indicted lawmakers played a heavy role in getting legislation passed that was much more favorable to the oil companies than it should have been. Kohring shouldn't be allowed to participate in any new deliberations -- the others who have thus far been indicted are no longer in the legislature.