Into wrap-up on the bill. Rep. Kopp: "It's clearly and fundamentally about the public good of the state of Alaska." He says there's no constitutional confusion about overseeing the tax system, noting the Legislature's constitutional duty to develop and maximize its resources.

Kopp says they're not there to declare guilt or innocence on anything, but to simply exercise the Legislature's clear oversight powers to ensure the state is developing its natural resources for the maximum benefit of the public.

Speaker Edgmon says they should not just be concerned with the cost of complying with the audits when there are hundreds of millions of dollars at stake with the collection of the state's oil taxes, especially when the state's fiscal picture is getting bad.