Legislature Candidates Guide
need to liberate our economy so that we can comply with our constitution and pursue responsible development. To me, responsible development means that we comply with our con- stitutional mandate to develop our resources provided that they meet the following criteria: 1. The project is economic and will produce value on its own merits 2. The project will deliver value to Alaskans and be in their public interest 3. The environment will be protected before, during and after the project In this view, the state’s role is primarily to create an open, fair, and secure playing field to enable our econ - omy, promote commerce, and to allow resource projects to occur. There may be a role for the state in some cases to provide critical infra- structure to support economic develop- ment, but more now than ever, we have to be careful about wasting public funds on projects that won’t pan out (see item 1 above). As a parent with three children in the ASD schools, I’m motivated to ensure that Alaska will still be a land of oppor- tunity and prosperity for our kids. My family has been here for generations, so I know we can get through tough times. I’m a life-long Alaskan and a 22-year resident of our district. We can’t stand by and watch our state be bankrupted by partisan politics. I’ve spent decades in the private sector, and I know how to make tough budget decisions while keeping an eye on future opportunities for growth, including opportunities for resource development and optimization. At this time in our state’s history, we need business experience to guide tough budget decisions. As a registered nonpartisan, I work hard to represent you, not special inter- ests or party line. Let’s face it: We reached this point Suzanne LaFrance, Democrat Candidate because for too many years, politicians let the budget grow out of control with- out saving enough. Now some politi- cians propose spending more on unsus- tainable cash handouts. My lifetime in business tells me the numbers have to add up. My family and my children are the reason I think it’s worth fighting for rational budget policies now.
House District 27 Lance Pruitt, Republican Candidate Mining is an extremely important component of not only Alaska’s econ- omy, but our relevance in the world economy. China still produces roughly 85 per- cent of the world’s rare earth oxides and approximately 90 percent of rare earth metals, alloys, and permanent magnets. We have seen the importance of these elements rise alongside modern tech- nology innovation. In the decades to come, REE’s remain a potential growth area in Alaska mining, and it is criti- cal we continue to remove roadblocks for these projects to move forward. We have enough capacity in Alaska to break China’s monopoly and secure a domestic supply, all we are missing are leaders to support it. We have one of the most robust regulatory systems in the world with checks and balances that ensure the environmentally responsible develop- ment of miner resources. Since being elected I have fought against the rapid expansion of new regulations and to get old regulations off the books. In order to move Alaska forward into the future, our leaders need to focus on providing clarity in these regulations and legal processes. Not the introduction of more roadblocks. House District 28 James Kaufman, Republican Candidate Of special interest to miners, this quote from our constitution: “It is the policy of the State to encourage the set- tlement of its land and the development of its resources by making them avail- able for maximum use consistent with the public interest.” (Alaska Constitu- tion Article VIII, Section 1. Statement of Policy). A statement that I make is: “Let’s get to work!” According to www.mercatus.org we have created a tremendous regulatory burden amounting to 52,570 restrictions — 5.8 million words — that would take 8 weeks just to read. The biggest ob- stacle to Alaska’s economic future is its government. I ask; do we really need 8 weeks’ worth of regulation? What could be gained by doing a thorough risk/ben- efit analysis and thoughtful reduction? So, in summary, I believe that we
PRUITT
KAUFMAN
LAFRANCE
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October 2020
The Alaska Miner
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