Dear Neighbors,
Well, we’re on an uncomfortable downwards slide as the legislature builds a budget in the shadow of the Governor’s $1 - $2 billion oil giveaway.
As you heard, there are, in my mind, much more effective, less damaging ways to amend our oil tax rules. See my recent op-ed.
Read More →JUNEAU - Today, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) called on the governor to release information he has withheld regarding the governor’s oil tax legislation. Two weeks ago Rep. Gara filed a public records request for important oil tax information so that legislators could receive information needed to decide how to address proposals on the subject. The governor has not yet responded.
Read More →Budget amendments would stave off teacher layoffs, pre-K cuts, and University class wait-lists
JUNEAU – Today, House Democrats offered a series of amendments to the state operating budget to stave off teacher layoffs, restore preschool funding, and help the University of Alaska meet the demand for its most popular classes.
Read More →Promotes Outdoor Recreation At Lower Cost to Alaskans
JUNEAU – Today, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) filed legislation to promote Alaska hunting and fishing by allowing lifetime licenses for Alaskans.
Read More →Houston, we have a problem! If you’d like to testify tomorrow on the operating budget before the House Finance committee, you’ll need some information, and it’s provided below.
The State seems to be building its own fiscal cliff to tumble over.
How? By creating a $1 – 1.5 billion deficit through a poorly crafted oil tax giveaway. The biggest part of the tax break gives away $1.5 billion or more in state revenue when oil prices are high.
Read More →It’s easy to think that the laws we pass don’t make a difference. Well sometimes they do. Or at least help those, as in foster youth Sarah Redmon’s case, who just might have moved any mountain-sized obstacles out of her way on her own.
And – I’ll write a short note about a bill we will hear Monday – that weakens Alaska’s ability to prevent developers from taking huge amounts of water from fishing streams that might damage our prized sport, commercial and subsistence fisheries. Yup. This bill (House Bill 77) violates the “promise” we once heard that Alaska would never trade one resource for another. Well, Alaska will, and our fish are coming out on the short end lately. There’s currently an application to take out eighteen million gallons a day of water from a prized western trout and salmon stream, the Upper Talarik Creek drainage off Lake Iliamna.
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