SB 21 protest march planned today

A gathering is planned at 11 a.m., May 21 in front of the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage in protest of the signing of Senate Bill 21.

Organizers of the rally say the bill will cost Alaska more than $4.5 billion in lost revenue during the next five years, and much more if oil prices rise.

“This is one of the worst bills to pass the Legislature in our entire history as a state,” says Vic Fischer, a member of the state’s constitutional convention and former senator in a press release announcing the protest. “It runs afoul of our constitution, which guarantees Alaskans the maximum benefit from the sale of our natural resources. It’s an unjustified and egregious giveaway that must be stopped.”

Members of the group are collecting signatures to put a question on the ballot regarding whether to repeal SB 21. Hundreds of Alaskans from around the state have volunteered to help collect the needed 30,000 signatures.

The bill slashes Alaska’s oil tax rates, even for existing fields. It requires no new production in exchange for the tax cuts and eliminates Alaska’s share of “windfall profits” generated when oil prices are high. Prices have been high for years and this trend is projected to continue.

For more information, call 231-7925.