Alaska Business Report Card is out

By
Suzanne Downing
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2

CHECK HOW YOUR LEGISLATOR WAS RATED ON THE PRIVATE-SECTOR SCALE

The Alaska Business Report Card group released its grades for the 30th Alaska State Legislature.

The report is published every two years at the end of each Legislature. It is a tool for the group to analyze individual legislators on their efforts to provide a stable economic climate for business, responsible budgeting, and private sector growth policies.

At the beginning of the 30th Legislature, each legislator was provided a letter indicating which issues the ABRC would focus its grading criteria on.

The Alaska Business Report Card group looked for efforts that create a healthy and appropriately sized state government, one that strengthens Alaska’s economy. To clearly illustrate how ABRC grades are assigned, we have only two grading criteria:

1) RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING

  • Budget policy should focus first and foremost on reversing the unsustainable state budget growth of the past decade. A multi-year series of annual reductions in the state operating budget – including entitlement reform – will be required.
  • Create an endowment model or similar framework to use the Permanent Fund earnings to support essential services to avoid liquidating remaining state financial reserves.
  • Only after a reduction in spending and use of the Permanent Fund earnings should other revenue be considered

2) PRIVATE SECTOR GROWTH

  • Now more than ever, pro-growth policies designed to stimulate and expand Alaska’s private sector are critically important. Top priorities include:
    • Maintain a stable business climate for all business, especially our struggling oil and gas industry. Businesses will not invest in uncertainty and Alaska needs to be a reliable partner
    • Adopt policies that ensure a streamlined, efficient and adequately funded regulatory system that relies on sound science as the basis for decision-making.

Grades were compiled based on a broad range of legislation impacting Alaska businesses and the economy. Legislative performance was tracked with the introduction of bills, committee level, and floor sessions during the legislative sessions.

Legislators grades and very detailed information about the scoring can be found online at alaskabusinessreportcard.com.

The group formed in 2010 as a non-partisan effort to inform the participating organizations’ members companies, who together employ tens of thousand of Alaskans, on how elected officials work to ensure Alaska remains an attractive place for private sector investment, jobs, and economic growth. The ABRC is comprised of the Alaska Chamber, Alaska Wins, and the Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I can’t believe some of the ones who got As should have D’s or F’s as they voted to take the PFD with substantially hurt businesses across the state.

  2. So, basically, those willing to take our PFDs are getting As, and those trying to help the people are getting Fs. >:(

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