On Saturday, June 18, the Alaska House of Representatives adjourned the 4th Special Session of the 29th Legislature, and the Senate did the same the following day. I am deeply disappointed majority leadership failed to progress towards a balanced, fair and comprehensive fiscal plan to address the $3-billion state budget deficit.
Read More →Juneau – Tonight, the Alaska House of Representatives closed out the Fourth Special Session of the 29th Alaska Legislature without making any substantial progress towards creating a balanced and sustainable plan to address the ongoing fiscal crisis in Alaska. The House failed to pass any of the revenue measures they were called into Special Session to consider by Alaska Governor Bill Walker. The 13 members of the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition (AIDC) remain committed to working on a comprehensive fiscal plan that will protect the Alaska economy and the essential functions of state government.
Read More →Juneau – Common sense legislation to honor Alaska’s first responders and their families is stuck in committee in both the Alaska House of Representatives and the Alaska Senate. House Bill 4002 and Senate Bill 4002 would allow the State of Alaska to continue insurance coverage for spouses and dependents of police and firefighters killed in the line of duty.
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On Monday, the Conference Committee on HB 247, the Oil & Gas Tax Credit Reform bill, was advanced and passed by both the House and the Senate. As introduced by the Governor, the bill was originally an aggressive reform to scale back costly subsidies by $500 million. The bill was dramatically changed through the Republican-controlled committee process to strip away nearly all savings and continue the unsustainable oil industry subsidies.
Read More →Juneau – Today, the Conference Committee created to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of House Bill 247 advanced a new version that continues unsustainable subsidies to the oil and gas industry that will cost Alaska hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The only member of the Minority on the Conference Committee is Representative Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage). She objected to the new version of HB 247 and voted no on advancing the bill out of the committee.
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