The Drummond Dispatch: Notes from Juneau
April 6, 2013
Over the years I’ve watched the end of session rush of bills from afar on Gavel to Gavel, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for when I came down to Juneau.
Now that we are down to the wire and I am in the thick of it, I can tell you it’s even more hectic on this end!
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Rep. Tuck’s Community Connection: You Deserve the Truth!
April 5, 2013
Dear Neighbors,
In the middle of the night, shortly after 2 am in the morning yesterday, the House Resources Committee prematurely rushed out a bill intended to give away a massive share of Alaska’s wealth to the oil industry.
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Rep. Kerttula’s Juneau Newsletter: Working to End Discrimination, Plus: While You Were Sleeping… Oil Taxes Advance
April 5, 2013
While the end of the 90-day session is in 10 days, I am not sure we will adjourn on time (or we may be back for a special session).
A bright point of my week was learning that my anti-discrimination bill will get a hearing in House State Affairs on Tuesday morning. Read below for more information about the bill and the hearing.
It was terrific to see the huge turnout at Stop the Giveaway rallies against the oil tax bill across the state. I was disappointed that I couldn’t attend the rally in Juneau, but I was on the House Floor defending teachers against a bill that unfairly alters tenure.
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I enjoy hearing from you, so please stop by the office, call, write or email me.
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NEWS: Giveaway changes: More Money, More Power to Oil Companies
April 4, 2013
Late Night meeting increased size of giveaway, repeats past mistakes
JUNEAU – Just after 2:00 a.m. this morning, the House Resources Committee voted to give away more of Alaska’s oil wealth with no guarantee of new production and to make the state rely on oil company statements instead of actual receipts when auditing deductions for tax breaks. The committee also tried to undo hard-won provisions that allow the oil companies that own the Trans Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) to charge the state and other companies for all of their expenses, not just the “reasonable” expenses allowed under current law.
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NEWS: Democrats Push Permanent Fund Dividend Protection In Light Of Oil Giveaway
April 3, 2013
JUNEAU - Today eight Democratic legislators filed legislation to protect the Permanent Fund Dividend by placing the current dividend formula in the Alaska Constitution. With GOP leaders pushing an oil giveaway that is likely to cost Alaskans upwards of $1 billion or more a year, future legislators are likely to start cutting the Dividend to fund state revenue. To protect against attempts to spend the Dividend in tight economic times, former Governor Jay Hammond proposed an initiative in 2002 that would have enshrined the Dividend in the Constitution, but Lt. Governor Loren Leman rejected it as not able to be done by initiative.
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