Assemblyman Ron Bernier of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly was in favor of Senate Bill 92 and presented a resolution for the Assembly to support it earlier this month.
SB 92, the Yundt Tax, was proposed by Sen. Rob Yundt of Wasilla and was designed to tax just one company — Hilcorp, which does business in Alaska, on the North Slope and in Cook Inlet.
But over the past few days Bernier has changed his mind. In a statement to Must Read Alaska, he wrote:
“I would like to let everyone know, that I will be ammending [sic] the resolution for the support of SB 92 to read , the Mat Su Borough does not support SB92.
I was given the impression that this was good for the Alaskan people, and I should have done more home work.
As for Rob Yundt. He has supported my legistlation to get rid of voting machines, keep sex offenders a 1000 feet from schools, parks and day cares. He was there when I did a resolution not to use taxpayer funds on abortions, or transgender surguries. Along with a resolution that encourages the Mat Su residents to maintain a firearm and ammunition for self protection and the protection of their community. He helped vote in a $75,000 for gun safty training for Mat-Su residents. He voted for my the Citizens Advisory Board to remove pornograghy from the libraries, He was in support of placing our historical documents in our borough building lobby. These included The Ten Commandments, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, The Alaska State Constitution. Pledge of Allegiance,
Again , we all make mistakes. It is important that we learn from them, Mistakes should refine us and not only define us. I should have prayed on it, before I acted on it. May we always glorify God”
Yundt, after disparaging those Alaskans who opposed his bill, late last week quietly withdrew his name as the prime sponsor of the tax, but immediately, as if on cue, Sen. Cathy Giessel adopted the tax as a committee bill, and thus kept the Yundt Tax alive.
So far, three Republican committees in the Mat-Su Valley have passed resolutions opposing the tax, and it appears the Mat-Su Borough Assembly will do the same.
Meanwhile, Yundt was a no-show at the Republican Lincoln Day Dinner held in his own district on Saturday. The Republican women’s club hosting the event had come out in opposition to his bill.
The next Mat-Su Borough Assembly meeting is on March 18 at the Assembly Chambers, 350 East Dahlia Avenue, Palmer. Meetings start at 6 pm.
The current resolution is: RS 25-028 A Resolution In Support Of Alaska State Senate Bill 92.
The exact wording of the current resolution supporting the tax on Hilcorp can be read at this link. Bernier has not yet posted the new version that opposes the tax.
