House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, today introduced House Bill 166, legislation re-instituting performance reviews for state departments and agencies. Similar reviews for state boards and commissions are instituted through statute, AS 44.66, and HB 166 returns that duty to departments and agencies, a practice ceased in 1983. "Our Caucus's top guiding principle is fiscal responsibility, and one of the main themes we've recognized as key is restraining and re-examining state spending and budget growth to determine if programs and directives we fund are still necessary and essential state services," Speaker Chenault said. "We've been looking at what other states do over the past couple of years and this is something we've gone back to, and similar to what Texas does today." Speaker Chenault says that with shortened 90-day sessions the finance committees have less time to thoroughly review the governor's proposed annual budgets, leading to justifications of spending and...