Rep. Andy Josephson - I answer to you!

Getting more oil in the pipeline is a priority for me…but making sure the benefits of our oil wealth reach you is of equal priority. This means ensuring that money from oil taxes makes it back to our local communities.

Naturally, Alaska’s future depends on getting more oil in the pipeline. This week the House and Senate Democrats delivered an alternative (HB 111) to the Governor’s Oil Tax Bill (HB 72). Unlike the Governor’s bill, the Democratic alternative aims to: (1) encourage oil production in new fields, (2) help get new oil out of existing fields, and (3) advance non-tax ways to encourage more oil production.

Obviously, the underlying theme of increased oil production is something with which I agree. The more difficult question is this: how do we make that happen? I plan to continue focusing my attention on studying the oil tax issue. The decision on oil taxes is incredibly important for all Alaskans—if we don’t get this right, so many other problems will follow. My obligation is to you, and ensuring we get the maximum benefit for our resources.

While giving great care to the oil tax debate is singularly important, I believe that developing our resources is only half of what it means to be a resource state. Bringing the benefits of that wealth home to Alaskans will define our success.

Last week, several of my colleagues and I filed legislation to stop a third year of damaging school staff cuts as well as to make up for prior cuts. The bill raises the Base Student Allocation (BSA), which is the amount of funds the school districts receive to invest in an individual student. House Bill 95 is a lasting commitment that the Anchorage School District can count on to plan for the future, instead of planning for more cuts. The bill makes up for the last two years of inflation and at the same time keeps our school resources on pace with predicted future inflation. Education is the ultimate investment and our future economy depends on educating Alaskans today.

Yesterday, I introduced a bill, HB 117, increasing the amount of oil tax revenue sent to local governments—called community revenue sharing. The Municipality of Anchorage uses this money to provide necessary community services, such as road improvements and snow removal, as well as to hold down property taxes. The increased revenue sharing follows the existing formula to distribute money among Alaskan communities; however, it increases the capped amount, which at the current level did not anticipate oil’s high prices in recent years.

To build a strong future and create the way-of-life Alaskans deserve, the work is often done by local communities, not state government.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact me on my personal cell phone which serves Midtown, University, and East Anchorage residents (575-2639) or on my office phone toll free at (800) 465-4939.