If Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski (R) gets his way, environmental organizations that sue state agencies and lose will have to pick up part of the state’s legal bills. At Murkowski’s request, bills were introduced yesterday into the Alaska House and Senate proposing changes to the state’s public-interest litigant rules. Currently, the rules allow public-interest groups to recover legal fees when they win court cases against the state and protect them from liability for legal fees when they lose. Murkowski wants to change those rules in cases where groups challenge the state departments of Environmental Conservation, Natural Resources, and Fish and Game.
