Today the Alaska Senate heard an impromptu debate about oil taxes even though it was not on the agenda.
Senator Cathy Giessel began the discussion in the special orders of the agenda. Giessel said that “Alaska needs a healthy oil industry for Alaska’s economy, stating that it is the most viable tax revenue available.”
“Some other far fetched tax revenues that would compare to the tax revenue oil provides would be tens of thousands of cruise ships visiting Alaska and every Alaskan of age smoking 10 packs a day“, which she added were absurd.
Giessel: “I’m glad we enacted the More Alaskan Production Act Mr. President. Because I don’t want to ask Alaskans to resort to smoking, drinking, driving on studded tires. And then on top of that, invite the country of Mexico to all get on mass onto cruise ships and come to Alaska. I’m much happier seeing the activity on Point Thomson and the increased rigs on the North Slope.”
Giessel’s discussion spurred this response from Democrat Minority Leader Hollis French.
French: ” We were given that oil at statehood, to share fairly and to build Alaska. And that is now an opportunity that we have lost. So I have another idea, I have another idea and I think that idea is go to the polls in August, fix that mistake, come back here next year and put a fair oil tax on the books.”
Senator Bill Wielechowski of Anchorage also posed a few questions on the topic.
“Governor promised us, told us if we passed the More Alaska Production Act that we were going to get more production, a lot of production. A million barrels of production. Where’s the production? Because under the sourcebook in 2023 we have 319,000 barrels of oil. We’re 681,000 barrels short. Where’s the production?”
He also asked where all the money that the act was supposed to generate is, stating that Alaska is $2 billion short this year.