How The U.S. Federal Government Has Stolen Alaska’s Statehood Birthright
Presented To Our Readers Tomorrow With Significant Links and References
From our friends at Ak-Headlamp:
No hope for consensus on HB247. Governor Bill Walker’s HB247 saw a new proposal yesterday via Rep. Craig Johnson, the first public action since April 13. But the adjustments proposed Tuesday don’t appear to be enough to yield the 21 votes needed for the legislation to pass the 40-member House, with two moderate Republicans, Reps. Paul Seaton of Homer and Louise Stutes of Kodiak, quickly voicing skepticism. “If the proposals that we’ve had thus far don’t get them to 21, there’s not enough of a change going on in these last two versions to materially change how people feel about it,” Brad Keithley, an oil and gas consultant and budget hawk, said in a phone interview. “Unless somebody just wants to change their vote.” The new legislation and Tuesday hearing by Johnson’s committee appeared to set back a parallel compromise effort that Seaton and Rep. Tammie Wilson, were working on last week. Headlamp understands that it’s hard to construct a compromise when the Governor who said everything is “written in pencil” continues to tell legislators that he can’t compromise on any portion of the bill. Deadlock: a situation in which two or more competing actions are each waiting for the other to finish, and thus neither ever does.
“Our oil tax structure is loaded with ticking time bombs that, if left unchecked, will wreak havoc on Alaska’s finances for decades to come,” says Sen. Bill Wielechowski in an Alaska Dispatch News commentary. The Senator argues that the Alaskan people “pay the price” and “no business in the world would operate the way Alaska has.”Headlamp would have to disagree with the Senator. Alaskans haven’t paid the price for anything – the oil and gas industry has paid for darn near everything for the past 40 years. Incentivizing private investment, encouraging widespread employment opportunities, and protecting a strong credit rating is exactly what a business would do. Instead of misleading Alaskans into believing that changing the oil tax structure will eliminate the budget gap – perhaps Senator Wielechowski could use his time to construct a plan for covering the $3 billion dollar hole that will still exist if HB 247 passes?
Today’s News links from the Alaska State Senate:
House Rules Committee holds hearing on oil and gas taxes, first in over three weeks
After weeks of delays, a bill to overhaul the state’s oil and gas taxes could advance quickly.
Assembly tells legislators to keep LIO downtown
The Anchorage Assembly officially waded into the state’s complicate process of figuring out where to house the controversial Legislative Information Office for lawmakers.
Shell forfeits Arctic leases once worth $2b
Shell is giving back all but one of its leases in the Chukchi Sea.
Walker to name new Supreme Court Justice within the week
Governor Bill Walker will name someone to a seat on the Alaska Supreme Court within the next few days.
A wrench and a spark shut down TAPS for nine hours
A worker with a hand-wrench sparked the fire last month that shut down the trans-Alaska pipeline for nine hours.
New oil tax proposal in Alaska House faces lukewarm reception — even from its author
The Alaska House’s Republican leadership on Tuesday unveiled a newly rewritten oil tax bill, but lawmakers don’t appear much closer to a deal on the issue that’s left them gridlocked for a full month.
House Republican defends appeal in suit over Alaska Medicaid expansion
The Legislature’s case seeking to halt the unilateral expansion of Medicaid is heading to the Alaska Supreme Court despite a legislative legal opinion saying that the Legislature must vote on the appeal.
Shell isn’t the only oil company departing from Alaska’s Arctic
While Shell’s exit from the Arctic has generated the most headlines, other oil companies, including ConocoPhillips and Statoil, have been more quietly giving up offshore leases in the Chukchi Sea.
Anchorage Assembly majority votes to keep LIO downtown
The Anchorage Assembly voted 7-4 to support a resolution that asks the state Legislature to keep its offices in downtown Anchorage, discouraging a potential move to Spenard.
Here are the most interesting gifts Gov. Walker’s received
Since taking office, Walker has reported receiving everything from calendars, pins and booze to sea otter mittens, duck calls and a silver-plated framed photograph of Norway’s king…
Legal limits for driving on pot not backed by science, study shows
Legal blood limits for marijuana are not an accurate way to measure whether someone was driving while impaired…
Stability, economic development help Alaska’s future look bright
OPINION: Despite Alaska’s current fiscal situation, we have the potential for a strong and sustainable future through economic development.
We must fix Alaska’s broken oil tax system before another fiscal time bomb goes off
OPINION: The Legislature must think first of the people we were hired to serve, and work in a bipartisan manner to fix our state’s broken oil taxation system.
In backing Trump, Alaska delegation puts party ahead of country
OPINION: You don’t have to like Hillary Clinton to see that she’s the rational choice over Donald Trump for the good of the United States of America.
Federal management of Cook Inlet fisheries would be a step back
OPINION: If Sen. Ted Stevens were alive today, he would be shocked to hear Alaska commercial fishermen inviting federal overreach to Cook Inlet.
People who overcome addiction, incarceration are more than worthy of society
OPINION: Welcoming felons back into society adds to our common strength.
Readers write: Letters to the editor, May 10, 2016
LETTERS: Readers sound off on news of the day.
Alaska legislative panel releases oil, gas tax credit rewrite
An Alaska legislative committee on Tuesday unveiled a draft oil and gas tax credit bill aimed at breaking an impasse that helped send lawmakers into overtime…
House Rules Committee releases oil, gas tax credit rewrite
The latest version of a controversial bill to scale back tax credits the state writes for the oil and gas industry would phase out nearly all tax credits…
Johnson: Majority of House majority wanted to pursue case
A Republican House leader says the majority of his GOP-led caucus supported pursuing a legal challenge to Gov. Bill Walker’s authority to expand Medicaid…
Hunting and fishing fee bill gets tune up
A bill that aims to fund the state’s conservation budget through increases to hunting and fishing permit and license fees had a problematic amendment…
School board approves $12.4 million joint bond measure
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday calling for a $12.4 million joint bond measure in partnership…
Cruz wants to keep delegates won in Alaska
Ted Cruz has suspended his presidential campaign, but he wants to keep the delegates he won in the Alaska presidential preference poll.
New version of oil tax bill gets hearing but little applause
The Alaska Legislature is considering a new plan to cut the state’s subsidy of oil and gas drilling, but opponents of previous versions say the proposal still fails to do enough.
Shell relinquishes offshore leases in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea
The only company to drill an exploratory oil well in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea following a 2008 federal lease sale confirmed Tuesday it has relinquished…
Slope producers rebuff state demand for gas sale info
The major North Slope producers and state regulators have considerable differences of opinion regarding what information the state can demand in oilfield development…
New Bradley Lake project crawls toward federal OK
The Bradley Lake hydroelectric power plant is one step closer to approval for an amendment to the Bradley Lake hydroelectric power plant that would allow the plant to divert…
Empire Editorial: It’s time for you to speak up on oil and gas welfare
Between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. tonight, the Alaska House Rules Committee will take public testimony on a plan to cut the state’s subsidy of oil and gas drilling.
My Turn: Danger is lurking in SB 91
Government’s most important mandate is public safety.
Commentary: Palin, you have no relevancy in this election
When entertainment news sites announced in March that Sarah Palin had signed onto a reality show modeled after “Judge Judy,” many in the conservative movement cheered.
House takes another stab at oil tax credit reform
After weeks of gridlock and private discussions on one of the biggest proposals taking aim at state government’s financial problems, legislators are making yet another…
‘In this case, Alaska loses.’ AOGA president reacts to Shell lease pull back
Royal Dutch Shell PLC confirmed Tuesday it will relinquish all but one of its federal offshore leases in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska’s northwest…
Mat Su Assembly approves 6% budget increase for school district
It’s another sign of just how fast the Mat Su Borough is growing. On Monday night the Borough Assembly voted overwhelmingly to approve a…
Community council helps start conversations between pot businesses, residents
With the marijuana businesses on track to open up soon. Community councils are starting to here from possible neighbors.
Despite suspending race, Cruz wants to keep delegates won in Alaska
Ted Cruz has suspended his presidential campaign, but he wants to keep the delegates he won in the Alaska presidential preference poll.
Legislative logjam ‘moving sideways’: House takes up new proposal on oil tax credits
The House Rules Committee on Tuesday took up a new version of Gov. Bill Walker’s bill to scale back oil tax credits…
Shell relinquishes offshore leases in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea
Royal Dutch Shell PLC confirmed Tuesday it will relinquish all but one of its federal offshore leases in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska’s northwest coast.
Anchorage Assembly passes resolution against legislators moving LIO to Spenard
There’s push back over lawmakers’ plans to buy a Midtown building for their Anchorage offices.
Fairbanks approves funds to acquire city’s tallest building
The city of Fairbanks has moved forward with plans to acquire the condemned Polaris Building by appropriating the first portion of the $130,000 needed to buy the deed of trust.
Cuts to state agency could increase risk of foodborne illness
When we go out to eat most of us hope the food will be good, but how often do we wonder if the food we’re served is safe to eat?
Alaska DEC announces recalls for frozen veggies, meat, microwave meals
In the span of 24 hours, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation announced the recent recalls of a number of food items sold in Alaska…
Hundreds of road projects planned for Anchorage this summer
The traffic headache thousands experience every summer is going to get worse before it gets better.
Cook Inlet grads recall unique education
Always an intimate affair, this year’s Cook Inlet Academy graduation ceremony was smaller than usual, with four graduating seniors being honored.
Arctic drilling off Alaska is disappearing
Oil drilling in the Arctic has long been a bone of contention between the industry and environmental advocates.
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