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A proposal with support from the governor and a majority of lawmakers will finally get a hearing in Senate Finance after being stuck in the committee for the last 10 months, according to a staff member to co-chair Sen. Bert Stedman.

The bill, HB 152, would set up a fund for renewable energy projects from which grants and loans could be given. House Speaker John Harris sponsored the bill, and more than half of the members in the House and the Senate have signed on as co-sponsors. (U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski commended lawmakers for considering the bill in her speech yesterday, and noted all the support.)

Should breeze through, right? Wrong. The bill passed the House last year without any opposition, then made it through the Senate Resources Committee before getting stuck in Senate Finance. It's been in that committee since last May and hasn't yet had a hearing.

The staffer, Darwin Peterson, said the bill will probably get a hearing next week. He said Stedman's reluctance to hear it was based on not wanting to make another special fund, which the Senator believes pushes the limits of the state's constitution because it amounts to one Legislature designating funds for a certain thing in future years (even though lawmakers can always get rid of the fund).

Peterson said Stedman also wanted to get a better sense of how the fund would be financed. Gov. Palin included $250 million for such a fund in her budget proposal, but lawmakers could also provide the money through a fiscal note attached to the bill. (The $250 million is expected to spin off about $15 million each year that could be used for projects.)

All told, Peterson said he thought something would pass this session because of the broad support for the proposal.