Legislative priorities and legislative action: never the twain shall meet?

• Author: Harrington, Susan
• Position: FROM THE EDITOR - Editorial

This legislative session in Juneau is all about money and the state's wallet, or it should be. Just as a reminder: Revenue is In and the Budget is Out. So far, not much legislative action has been taken that would create a balanced or sustainable budget. We've shared top legislative priorities from leading advocacy groups as well as the long list of bills and resolutions filed through the end of January (page 8).

The priorities of the Alaska business community are pretty clear about what needs to be done--what isn't clear is any correlation between legislative action so far and the priorities. To borrow from Rudyard Kipling's The Ballad of East and West, "Oh East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Is this the fate of Alaska's priorities and actions? Not listed in the long list of bills filed is House Bill 111, filed hours before going to press on February 8. It is rather long and obtuse, obstinate, and awful. Alaska business and industry leaders voiced immediate outcry.

"HB 111 is yet another change to oil and gas taxes in a series of changes that creates uncertainty for national and global investors.... Businesses cannot thrive in an uncertain environment where tax policies continually change ... While there is little we can do about the volatile nature of oil prices, we can control and maintain stable policies. Making and keeping Alaska competitive nationally and globally is critical...