The resolution was previously passed in the Alaska House 36 in favor 1 against 3 absent.  Thus Alaska’s democratically elected leaders have voted a collective 56 in favor and 1 against ANWR development.  Many lawmakers took the podium yesterday to give strong testimonial support to the resolution and directly urge Congress to open the 10-02 area to oil and gas exploration.  In the State of Alaska 78% of Alaskans support the issue and it has unanimously been supported by all governors, congressional senators and representatives.  HJR 11 will be soon followed by HJR9 which asks for the direct opening of the 10-02 area to oil and gas exploration.  That vote will take place in the Alaska House and Senate in a few weeks. 

It has been the case that every sitting Alaska State Legislature has passed pro-ANWR resolutions near unanimously since debate began in 1980.  This result flies directly against the reception the issue gets in Washington DC where Congress yearly deals with 18-19 ANWR bills and has played partisan political football with the issue for over 30 years.  ANWR remains the single most legislated energy issue in American history and has passed the House 12 times and the Senate 3 times and both bodies only once in 1995 only to be vetoed by then President Clinton.  Since early 2006 there has not been a floor vote on Capitol Hill on the issue and only managed a single committee amendment vote in 2009.   Alaska state representatives and senators have been very frustrated with Congress’s inability to deal with the ANWR issue as oil and gas revenue make up 87% of the State’s tax base and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is running less than 1/3rd full.  Each year Alaska loses 7% of its oil despite that the USGS estimates 28 billion barrels of oil exist there, almost all of it under Federal Land.  To date no oil has been produced from Federal land in the state.  ANWR is part of the Federal land ownership within the state and thus not under the jurisdiction of the State.