Shiratori has been under contract since August, working for the Alaska Gasline Development Corp.
Corporation spokeswoman Rosetta Alcantra says the contract is for up to $130,000 and expires in June. Shiratori will work in a small office, which the state pays about $5,300 a month rent.
Alaska faces a multibillion dollar budget deficit because of chronically low oil prices, and lawmakers began a 90-day session this week that will be dominated by what Gov. Bill Walker has called a financial crisis.
Walker advocates building a multibillion dollar natural gas pipeline to diversify the economy. Previous efforts to build such a pipeline have failed.
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