[ INSIDE HAWAII INC. ]

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Melissa Teves Pavlicek, a lawyer at Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, is the new local oil industry lobbyist.

Oil industry lobbyist
seeks less regulation

Melissa Teves Pavlicek Appointment: January 2003, to lobby for the Western States Petroleum Association, an oil industry organization based in Sacramento, Calif. Daily job: Associate at Honolulu law firm Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, working on government affairs and business transactions. Past chairwoman of the business law section of the Hawaii State Bar Association.

How did Alston get the WSPA job?

WSPA had a request for proposals that they made publicly available. Our firm submitted a proposal and we were selected as one of a handful of candidates that were interviewed here in Honolulu, and then we were invited to Sacramento. I am the only registered lobbyist working with WSPA.

Experience?

Actually, I worked at the Legislature. I was a committee clerk for then-Rep. Robert Bunda. And I also worked on the Senate Consumer Protection Committee. When I worked with then-Sen. Donna Ikeda, they were considering the divorcement law (a regulation that governs how close oil company gasoline stations can be to independent dealerships). I became familiar with all sides of the issue, and prior to becoming an attorney, I worked in California for a petroleum industry association, the California Independent Petroleum Association.

What does the lobbying job consist of?

One of the things that's involved is working with very diverse members from dealers to jobbers to oil companies in our association to find out people's perspective on proposed legislation. Also, coming up with some strategies for communicating with the public. I will be more available to the media and to the public as we approach this legislative session. WSPA traditionally has not had a very public voice.

What should the Hawaii Legislature do about gas prices?

The Federal Trade Commission testified to the Legislature in January that divorcement and the gas price cap does and will have negative effects and actually increase prices and create shortages. We should be looking at less regulation, less taxes -- that will tend to reduce prices.

So will less government involvement make local gas prices more comparable to mainland gas prices?

In Hawaii, we have higher prices for most everything, and I think we have to keep in perspective all goods and services that we purchase, and we have to consider the market forces that create the higher prices.

Is the focus more on swaying opponents or boosting supporters?

I think that my job is to provide good reliable information about the industry so that informed decisions can be made, and not to persuade proponents or opponents to a particular point of view.

What's your plan for the upcoming Legislative session?

There is a bill that was introduced in the last session to repeal the gas price cap. I'm hopeful there will be an opportunity to testify in favor of that legislation. I think the Legislature is entitled to get more information.

The state retained an oil industry consulting firm to study regulating gas prices, at the Legislature's request, and the study panned the idea in preliminary findings. Thoughts?

The Legislature paid for this report and they need to hear from the consultants that they hired before making a final decision on the gasoline price cap.

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