Representative
David Guttenberg

My staff:
Meredith Cameron
Ron Clarke

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Rep.David.Guttenberg
@akleg.gov

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   phone: 452-4448
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Proud to serve
District 38:
Alakanuk; Anderson; Cantwell; Chevak; Clear; Denali Park; Emmonak; Ester; Ferry; Four Mile Road; Goldstream; Grayling; Healy; Hooper Bay; Kotlik; Lake Minchumina; Manley Hot Springs; Marshall; McGrath; Minto; Mountain Village; Nenana; Nikolai; Nunam Iqua; Pilot Station; Pitkas Point; Ruby; Scammon Bay; St. Mary’s; Takotna; Tanana

April 1st, 2013

Friends and Neighbors,

With the clock ticking down to the final weeks, the legislature has to decide which bills will pass this session and which will wait until January 2014. With the big issues blocking up House Resources, House Finance, and Senate Finance, small legislation is on hold until the log jam breaks.

I want to say thank you to all the people who have called in to testify, written e-mails, POMs, and made phone calls to me and my colleagues. Your voices really do make a difference in bills and budgets.

“It’s Our Oil” Rally April 4th
– Time for Backbone –

Alaskans across the state will join together on April 4th to speak out against the sweeping changes being made to ACES, Alaska’s oil tax scheme. The events in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau are part of the group Backbone’s efforts to stop a giveaway of Alaskans’ oil resources that will blow a big hole in our treasury.

Date: April 4th, 2013

Time: Noon

Location: Veterans Memorial Park, downtown next to Fairbanks City Hall

What: Rally To Stop the Oil Wealth Giveaway

As SB 21(“Oil and Gas Production Tax”) moves rapidly through the legislature, we have not done our due diligence to ensure a solid commitment that any changes to our tax system will result in increased production. The oil industry has said that the changes in SB 21 make Alaska competitive, but not a significant enough break to make us attractive. They want us to give them more without any safeguards, commitments, or assurances that the state will be able to pay for education, roads, bridges, or a gas pipeline project. Some Senators and the Governor have said that they will hold these companies accountable and if we don’t see increased production, bring them back before the legislature. What will that accomplish? An even further tax break? More lost revenue?

The Legislature has the opportunity to slow down and make calculated changes to ACES that will attract independents to explore new oil and incentivize our legacy fields. With only a few days left this session, rushing though a significant tax change just for the sake of getting something done is not wise.

For more information about the rally on the 4th, please contact Malcolm Roberts from Backbone at (907) 444-9311.

Support Our Schools

Earlier last week, parents, students, and educators gathered on the steps of the Capitol in support of funding for education. Thank you for your overwhelming support for our public schools. My office has been inundated with letters, phone calls, and e-mails on the importance of significant forward funding of education in our state.

I represent a new legislative district that includes both urban and rural school districts, so I know firsthand how many huge challenges face parents, kids, and educators across Alaska. Providing a world- class education is not a simple task. Increasing the Base Student Allocation is probably one of the most significant actions we can take on education funding this year, which is why I am a co-sponsor of HB 95 (“Base Student Allocation; District Plan”) to increase the BSA.

Conditional pink slips to teachers have started to go out already, a grim consequence of the legislature’s inability to recognize the position we put school districts in with our funding cycles. I want to make sure we support our schools financially, expediently, and fairly. Young people are our future. A well-educated, skilled workforce benefits us all.

Thank you for reading and please feel free to call my office and share your ideas.

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