A Citizen’s Guide

From R.A. Dillon in Juneau:

The House just failed to pass the title change of the Senate’s version of the bill. That means the House and Senate versions can’t be reconciled. It’s a procedural hurdle, but one that is seriously gumming up the works as we near the deadline for the end of the special session.

From R.A. Dillon in Juneau, for us:

The House just passed the oil tax bill by a vote of 26 to 13. Now they need a two-thirds vote, or 27 yeas, to pass the effective dates. That’s important because several provisions become effective retroactively, which substantially increase the price tag of the bill on the industry.

It failed to pass the House.

Things are starting to get interesting again.

Without an effective date, the bill takes effect 90 days after passage.

From R.A. Dillon in Juneau:

The House is on the floor considering the version of the oil tax approved earlier today by the full Senate.

From Dillon in Juneau:

The Senate floor session is delayed while Senate leadership confers with the House on an amendment to rescind the tax bill’s retroactive effective date.

There’s concern that yesterday’s amendment to drop the retroactive provision was defeated simply because it was offered by Sen. Con Bunde, R-Anchorage, a member of the minority. Republican members of the majority coalition hold little love in their hearts for Bunde, but leadership believes they do support the amendment.

There’s also word from the second floor that a new amendment is being drafted to drop the standard deduction on operating costs at the state’s two big legacy fields. That could be a deal killer for House Democrats who have threatened to sink the bill if the language isn’t included.

JUNEAU — Alaska lawmakers late Thursday took one more step toward taking a quarter of the net profits that oil companies make off resources taken in Alaska.

The state Senate passed a bill 14-5 hiking the oil tax rate from 22.5 percent to 25 percent. The House has already passed a similar version and was to meet Friday to consider the Senate’s version once it is sent over after the Senate puts the bill through a reconsideration procedure. If House members don’t approve it, the bills go to a conference committee to hash out any differences.

The bill must gain final approval before the special sessions ends at midnight Friday.

Senate passage ended four days filled with lengthy delays in the Senate Finance Committee while its members wrestled with the tax rate. They initially backed the current tax of 22.5 percent. Read the rest of this entry »

R.A. Dillon amends his last offering with this:

The Senate has called for reconsideration of the oil tax bill for tomorrow. That will delay the House. Friday is the 30-day constitutional limit on the special legislative session. The move allows the Legislature’s attorneys to review the bill before it gets passed to the House — and it also runs down the clock a little more.