Alaska Miner Magazine, Summer 2020

-LWWZ_8PL^`]P%BSL_ it means for Alaskans

_TZYLW;P_]ZWP`X=P^P]aP,WL^VL „ .ZX[LYTP^ɪ NZYʭOPY_TLW _Lc ]P_`]Y^ʭWPObT_S_SP^_L_P/P[L]_ - XPY_ ZQ =PaPY`P bZ`WO MP XLOP public In a radio debate on Alaska Public 8POTLɪ^ ?LWV ZQ ,WL^VL XZOP]L_PO Md 7Z]T ?ZbY^PYO .ZYZNZ;STWWT[^ Alaska vice president Scott Jepsen said the public disclosure of tax re- _`]Y^NZ`WOZ[PY`[Z_SP]NZYʭOPY - _TLWTYQZ]XL_TZYʭWPObT_S_SP^_L_P revenue department. That could include payments to contractors, which could put support ʭ]X^ L_ L OT^LOaLY_LRP bT_S NZX - petitors. =ZMTY-]PYLLY,YNSZ]LRPL__Z] - ney who is chief advocate for the tax initiative, was opposite Jepsen on Talk of Alaska, and discounted prob- lems this would cause. The disclosure would apply only to tax returns, he said, and most of the public would not understand those in any event. Brena did not say how that would serve the public if the returns were not understand- able. Meanwhile, top managers in oil producing companies are close- ly watching how Alaskans will deal with the tax initiative. It may cause companies to re-think their invest- ments in those locales, ConocoPhil- WT[^.0:=dLY7LYNP^LTOTYLbPM - cast with a petroleum industry trade association. ConocoPhillips has operated in Alaska for “a long time,” he said, and that has provided “certainty and stability,” for the state, which high- er taxes would put into question. ɭ4Q_SP_Lc]L_PRZP^`[NL^SʮZb^ go down and we have to manage in L]L_TZYLWPYaT]ZYXPY_ɮ7LYNP^LTO On Talk of Alaska, Brena said the tax initiative would provide more money for state services that have been cut because of low oil prices and lower revenue. It could also pay for a Permanent Fund Dividend for Alaskans, he said.

played out so far through radio, TV and social media advertising along with newspaper op-ed pieces by both sides. In a nutshell, here’s what this is about: „ If passed by voters, state taxes bZ`WOOZ`MWPZY,WL^VLɪ^_S]PPXZ^_ []ZO`N_TaP ZTW ʭPWO^ ;]`OSZP -Ld 6`[L]`V=TaP]LYO,W[TYP „ Through a feature called “ring-fencing,” owners of those ʭPWO^ bZ`WO YZ_ MP LMWP _Z OPO`N_ their costs of new exploration and development in other parts of the 9Z]_S>WZ[P Essentially this would cut about MTWWTZYLdPL]TYNL^SYZbLaLTW - able for companies to explore for and OPaPWZ[ YPb OT^NZaP]TP^ TY _SP 9L -

Initiative would raise taxes on oil, gas producers

BY TIM BRADNER

For The Alaska Miner ?SPʭRS_ZaP]-LWWZ_8PL^`]PT^ picking up steam. This is the new voter initiative L__PX[_TYR_Z]LT^P_LcP^ZY,WL^VLɪ^ major oil and gas producers, which bTWWL[[PL]ZY_SP9ZaPXMP]RPYP]LW election ballot. Ordinary election-year campaign- TYRT^^_TWWN`]_LTWPOMd.:A4/$aT - rus protections, so the battle is being

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The Alaska Miner

July 2020

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