A Citizen’s Guide

Will lawmakers be in Juneau on Friday?

It should be an easy question, but it isn’t.

A few things factor into the answer, according to those hanging around the Capitol.

1. There’s a pretty strong will to get the oil tax rewrite done and get out of here. This is the second 30-day special session of the summer, and a number of lawmakers face primaries just two weeks from today.

2. It seems reasonable to think that the two bodies will come to an agreement on an oil tax. At the end of last session, the two House and Senate came within a tax percentage point of agreeing. There’s been wide support for a gross tax and a proposal in the House to tie the tax rate to investment, but the PPT is still a fallback that has been studied and supported.

3. If the Legislature passes an oil tax based on gross production, the governor will veto it, he said Friday, and if there’s no agreement on an oil tax, he’ll call another special session immediately.

4. The Legislature also has the ability to keep itself here if they don’t complete the job.

So will lawmakers be in Juneau Friday?

Maybe.