JUNEAU, Alaska—
Sen. Bert Stedman was a notable face missing from the audience during Gov. Sean Parnell's State of the State address Wednesday evening.Stedman says his boat, on which he lives during the legislative session, froze in the brutal Juneau cold.
Stedman, a Republican from Sitka, says he let the governor's office know, in advance, that he would not be attending the speech, and why.
Stedman is co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Last session, he and other lawmakers tussled with the governor over budget language. In 2010, he led a charge to separate Alaska's oil and gas production tax. That measure passed the legislature but was ultimately vetoed by Parnell.
