Greetings from Juneau on this 26th day of the first special session of the 30th Legislature. I continue to work for a sustainable fiscal solution to our state’s declining revenue, but have had little success dealing with the Senate. We are quickly approaching the end of the first special session and if we have not passed a budget within the allowable time, the Governor may call us back into a second special session.
As the First Special Session of the 30th Alaska Legislature reaches its final week, some progress has been made to avert a government shutdown on July 3rd. But we need to have legislators willing to compromise to make that happen.
I’d love to join those using the easy sound bite. I do believe in finding waste, and cutting it. I’ve voted against wasteful spending on legislative office buildings, the Knik Arm Bridge, the Susitna Dam, and other unaffordable projects.
As often happens this time of year, things are moving very quickly during the last month of this scheduled 90 session. Sometimes I will need to give you short notice about important upcoming opportunities and deadlines, and I appreciate your bearing with me.
Anchorage – Thursday Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) asked the Parnell Administration to hold off on a controversial proposal for tens of millions of dollars in additional tax reductions on a North Slope oilfield. Last week Governor Parnell’s Commissioner of Natural Resources announced his proposal to reduce the 12.5% royalty on the Nuna oilfield by over 50%.
JUNEAU – Today, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) presented a constitutional amendment to enshrine the Permanent Fund Dividend program in the Alaska Constitution to the House State Affairs Committee.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It is nearly time for my staff and me to move back to Juneau for the second session of the 28th Alaska State Legislature. Other than the mere fact that it is December 19th and the session convenes one month from today, the Governor just released his budget and the Department of Revenue submitted its fall report on revenue sources for Alaska, which are both tell-tale signs that session is coming, and in this case, that we need to tighten our belts. In this newsletter I will discuss both of these subjects and how each will impact the upcoming session.
Enormous implications mean new assumptions need more scrutiny
JUNEAU – Today, House Democrats raised concerns about the methodology and timing of the Parnell Administration’s new revenue projection model and asked Department of Revenue Commissioner Bryan Butcher to release to the public more details about its latest income projections. House Democratic Leader Beth Kerttula (D-Juneau) met with Commissioner Butcher and his staff this week to discuss the new report, but she was not satisfied with the explanations she received.
