NEWS: “New” Oil Regs a Fool’s Errand, Need More Work and Review
August 26, 2013
Democratic Legislators highlight big risks in draft Oil Wealth Giveaway regulations
JUNEAU – Today, Alaska Democratic Legislators warned of significant risks, impossible expectations, and the potential for industry to game the system in their official comment letter to the Alaska Department of Revenue on its proposed regulations for Senate Bill 21, the governor’s oil wealth giveaway.
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Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: Back to Work in Fairbanks
May 7, 2013
Dear Neighbors,
It’s hard to believe the first session of the 28th Legislature is already over, having wrapped up on the evening of April 14th. This session was unique – and while there were positive moments of collaboration between legislators, political parties and the public, there were also troubling trends regarding a lack of public participation and due process. Shortened public testimony, rushed bills through committees, and not taking the time to seriously consider some of the most historic issues we as legislators will ever see is a trend that must be reversed.
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Note from Rep. Gara: Taking Credit for Gravity: Claims that Long-Planned Oil Projects are the “Sudden” Result of the April Oil Tax Rollback
May 1, 2013
Dear Neighbors,
It didn’t take long for silly season to start after the Legislative Session ended April 14. Expect a few years of “abracadabra” claims that oil projects, already being developed under ACES (the oil tax law that has been in place since 2007) are now magically the result of the massive rollback of Alaska’s share of oil revenue (an approximate $1.5 billion per year revenue reduction at $120 per barrel at a time when Alaska is already facing deficit spending). Senate Bill 21 is the oil tax bill that the oil companies, Governor, and his allies succeeded in pushing through the Legislature in April. The claims are, politely put, “flawed” in most cases.
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Rep. Kerttula’s Juneau Newsletter: Top 6: Oil Tax Change is Bad for Alaska - Plus: District Capital Budget Projects
April 24, 2013
The House of Representatives gaveled out of the first session of the 28th Alaska State Legislature at 11:35 p.m. on April 14, 2013.Overall, it was a disappointing session for Alaska, with the elimination of cruise ship waste standards, passage of a massive giveaway of Alaskans’ oil wealth, and no commitment to education. Click here to read an article from KFSK in Petersburg on my take on the session.
I’m also including a list of some of District 32′s capital budget items in this newsletter. In anticipation of large budget deficits due to the oil tax giveaway, the Legislature returned to the more modest capital budgets of years past.
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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Rep. Tuck’s Community Connection: Historic Gamble to Give Away Alaska’s Oil Wealth
April 16, 2013
Dear Neighbors,
In a clear betrayal of public trust, last Saturday shortly after 2 a.m., a majority of members in the Alaska House of Representatives made the disastrous decision to give away a massive share of Alaska’s oil wealth to the most powerful and profitable corporations in the world—with no promise or guarantee of increased production or more oil in the pipeline.
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