“Alaska’s Fair Share” oil tax initiative proponents say that they have collected over 40,000 signatures to place their initiative on the ballot.
On Friday, Jan. 17, the group will turn their petition booklets in at the Division of Elections between 2-3 pm. There will be some fanfare for the television cameras at the 2525 Gambell Street building where Elections is located.
The initiative asks voters to radically change Senate Bill 21, Alaska’s stable oil taxation system that voters approved in 2014. The change would boost the tax rate and eliminate net tax credits for the largest oil fields. The leader of the initiative is Robin Brena, the law partner of former Gov. Bill Walker.
A Senate bill that mirrors the Alaska’s Fair Share initiative was filed by Sen. Bill Wielechowski on Jan. 10. SB 129 is much longer than the initiative, but seeks to enact the same tax plan. If passed by the Legislature, it would knock the initiative off the ballot.
