Lame-duck Gov. Frank Murkowski Tuesday praised a measure setting an advisory vote on same-sex benefits for public employees but didn't say where the issue was headed next.
Gov.-elect Sarah Palin issued a press release Tuesday thanking Murkowski for leaving the issue to her administration, even though Murkowski didn't say he would do that.
Nor did Palin make clear what her administration would do.
A delay would give her administration "the opportunity to get a team in place to review our options," she said.
The Alaska Legislature met in special session last week after the state Supreme Court ordered the state to provide benefits for same-sex partners of state and local government employees and retirees. The Legislature passed two bills and one resolution on the topic.
One of those bills sets a statewide advisory vote in April to ask Alaskans whether they want to decide on a constitutional amendment barring same-sex benefits.
At a news conference in Anchorage, Murkowski spoke positively about the advisory vote without promising to sign the bill.
"The Legislature has taken a step forward by asking the people, through an advisory vote, whether they wish to pursue a constitutional amendment," said Murkowski.
He also called on the Legislature to intervene in the ongoing litigation so the court could hear its views on the issue directly.
The Legislature last week passed a resolution asking the court for an extension of its Jan. 1 deadline for providing benefits. That resolution was mailed to the court in Anchorage Tuesday, said a spokeswoman for the Senate Clerk's office.
The Supreme Court's ruling was made more than a year - and four sessions of the Legislature - ago.
"I hope the court system has the patience to respect the democratic process and delay implementation until the people have the opportunity to speak through the ballot," Murkowski said.
The Legislature Monday also passed a bill barring the Murkowski administration from complying with the court's order for benefits. Most of the uncertainty revolves around that bill, as it would not take effect for 90 days after being signed by the governor. And there is no assurance the governor will sign it.
"It's one of those things we're just going to take a wait and see on," said Will Vandergriff, spokesman for Gov. Murkowski.
The governor's office has not yet received the bill, he said, and may not receive it before the Murkowski administration leaves office on Dec. 4. If it does receive the bill, it may still leave it for Palin to deal with.
Vandergriff referred further questions about implementation of the bill to the Department of Law, where spokesman Mark Morones said the department had no comment.
