Last week we sent you an invitation from Senator Ellis and myself to our annual constituent pizza talk. We get to give you an update on the legislative session and more importantly, we get to listen to your thoughts.
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Yesterday I gave you a quick heads up about tomorrow’s chance to testify before your Anchorage legislators, and on next week’s public testimony on the House version of the Operating Budget. The legislature writes the budget in old style Aramaic. So I thought I’d decipher a few things you might be interested in.
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I am writing this between tears today. Yesterday Alaska lost a statesman. Many of us lost a good friend. I’ve served with Max Gruenberg my whole career in the legislature. I got to know a man who – despite how some in the press who didn’t know Max might describe him (they saw that he fixed a lot of bills with amendments) – was a passionate, funny husband and father who cared deeply about others. He cared deeply about giving people born with little a chance in this world a fair shake. He cared deeply about fairness.
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Today I submitted legislation to close a gaping loophole in Alaska’s corporate tax. My press release on this bill follows.
If we are to close a nearly $4 billion budget gap, the revenue we seek needs to be balanced. It can’t disproportionately hit those who have little when we have tax loopholes that benefit those who have the most.
Every day I talk to legislators in both parties to see if we can build a bi-partisan fiscal plan. I’m trying to keep things calm. I’m trying not to say “no,” even to proposals that cause me concern. A fair compromise will have to include elements most members don’t love. Compromise involves principled give and take. I’m listening to everyone’s ideas, and hoping enough members of the Republican majority will also be willing to put together a balanced, fair, bi-partisan fiscal plan.
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