Frank

Pennsylvania Rep. Frank Tulli, one of the sponsors of a statenatural gas deregulation bill that stalled last year, said thelegislation once again is on the fast track now that Gov. Tom Ridgehas proposed eliminating the 5% gross receipts tax levied on thestate’s residential gas users.

Bill Richardson was sworn in as the new energy secretary onTuesday, one day after Senate Energy Committee Chairman FrankMurkowski (R-AK) cleared him of allegations that he may have misledCongress when testifying during his confirmation hearing last monthabout a job offer he made to former White House intern Monica S.Lewinsky.

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) onMonday cleared Energy Secretary in-waiting Bill Richardson ofallegations that he may have misled Congress when testifying duringhis confirmation hearing last month about a job offer he made toformer White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky.

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) onFriday asked President Clinton to delay swearing in Bill Richardsonto head the Department of Energy until the committee has had anopportunity to review allegations that he may have lied during hisconfirmation hearing about a job offer that was made to MonicaLewinsky.

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) lastweek said he will hold a hearing into the price spikes in theMidwest electricity market after the Senate returns from its recessin September.

Gas gatherers and processors won a major victory when OklahomaGov. Frank Keating vetoed Senate Bill 319 last Friday. Thelegislation would have given the Oklahoma Corporation Commissionbroad authority to regulate rates, terms and conditions ofgathering and processing contracts and to settle disputes betweengatherers and producers.

A road block to retail competition in Oklahoma was smashed lastweek when Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating vetoed Senate bill 565, alast-minute attempt to derail gas unbundling in the state. The billwould have pushed back the effective date for unbundling untilOctober 2001 and erased the final rules completed by the OklahomaCorporation Commission in April and approved by the legislature andthe governor.