Rep. Mike Doogan in Juneau - Legislative Newsletter

The powerful House Finance Committee, of which I am a weak and insignificant member, is almost through its first week of wrestling with House Bill 110, Gov. Sean Parnell’s bill to give $10 billion to the oil industry because – well, because he wants to.

That, of course, is not what Parnell says. He says oil production is seeping away, and the only way to get more is to pay billions in baksheesh to the oil companies. If the oil companies are feeling benevolent, they will spend some of it to produce more oil.

Will they? So far, their spokespersons have resisted the temptation to say.

If they do, will they produce enough to offset the $10 billion? Parnell’s bill doesn’t require them to. Actually, it doesn’t require them to do anything for most of the money. Except cash big checks. Maybe even less, the wonders of direct deposit being what they are.

How are you liking the Parnell Plan so far?

Yeah, me either. For most Alaskans, it is all cost and no benefit.

Why is Parnell pushing such a proposal?

Ask him. Just don’t expect anything much in the way of an answer. So far, his explanation of what he’s doing, and why, is as thin as the meat in a vending machine sandwich.

What he does have going for him is friends in the oil industry – he used to work for ConocoPhillips – an entire state bureaucracy to follow his orders, members of the legislature to assist him and a well-heeled special interest group to pay for TV ads extolling his position.

Is that going to be enough?

If you are a fan of a TV show called “Bones,” you will remember that a couple of the science geeks have a continuing dispute about who was “king of the lab.”

Well, I don’t know a Bunsen burner from a pipette, but I do know who is the king of single legislative appropriations.

On Wednesday, I introduced a bill to put $10 billion into the Alaska Permanent Fund.

That’s $10,000,000,000.

If you recognize that number, that’s because it’s the amount Gov. Sean Parnell wants to give to the oil companies. (See entry above.)

I’m sure some people will say that the bill is just a political ploy. But I’m as serious as a heart attack. We can afford the deposit – it’d leave another $3 billion for emergencies. It would give the dividend a nice bump when it kicks in. And it would preserve the money for things we’re sure to need – cops, schools, streets and like that.

As you might imagine, I’ve had brains on my mind a lot for the past year or so. While my doctor in Seattle was busy giving me less to think with, he was also giving me more to think about. He told me he’d played a role in passing Washington’s law to protect student athletes from serious brain injuries. He also said, “Hey, you’re a powerful member of the powerful Finance Committee; you should pass a concussion law in Alaska!” So, that’s just what I’m trying to do.

HB 15 had its first hearing in the House Education Committee on Wednesday, and I’d like to thank everyone who testified on behalf of the bill. If passed the bill will ensure that student athletes, their parents and coaches will receive training about the causes, symptoms and effects of concussions; it will require that a student athlete suspected of having a concussion be removed from play, and that he/she will not return to play until cleared by a licensed health care provider. It’s almost impossible to prevent an initial concussion, but the danger of catastrophic brain injury dramatically increases when someone with a concussion receives a second head injury.

I’m confident the bill will be well-received, and I’m hoping it will become law either this year or next. School sports are an important part of growing up, and we should do everything possible to protect our student athletes.

Thank you to everyone who showed up to our West Anchorage constituent pizza party last weekend. It was great to see so many familiar faces—and quite a few new faces, too—on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Special thanks to Marky D Clown and his crew for ably entertaining our youngest constituents—who, I am beginning to suspect, did not show up to talk politics at all. Despite their unwillingness to debate oil taxes with me, I did notice a large number of children leaving the event with balloon hats and big grins, so I guess they got what they came for.

If you weren’t able to make it to the pizza party on Saturday and have an issue you want to discuss with me, give me a call at 465-4998 or send me an email at Rep_Mike_Doogan@legis.state.ak.us.

Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a balloon animal or a slice of pizza from me, you’ll have to wait until next year.

Some people just look good bald. For those of us who have never starred in a Die Hard movie, however, it’s not the first look we would choose. But, sometimes, it’s for a good cause.

A number of my colleagues, led by Rep. Charisse Millet and Rep. Chris Tuck, are shaving their heads today to stand in solidarity with kids with cancer, and to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation—which supports cancer research.

Don’t worry, you won’t be seeing any pictures of me bald anytime soon. I already shaved my head once this year and decided it’s better for everyone when my cranium is covered. I will be supporting my colleagues’ efforts, though, and you can too.

Click here to make a donation for the Millet/Tuck Alaska Legislature Team. When else will you get a chance to make a legislator go bald and contribute to a good cause at the same time?