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Candidates for Alaska’s lieutenant governor support regulatory reform
Jen Ransom PNA Staff Writer
While candidates running for Alaska’s lieutenant governor may not agree on many issues, all seem to promote some sort of regulatory reform for Alaska’s natural resources. Other candidate platforms include closing the fiscal gap, access to resources and either support for or opposition of Proposition 3, which calls for a state-funded Alaska gas pipeline.
Five candidates for lieutenant governor participated in a forum on industry issues held Aug. 20 in Anchorage: Democratic candidate Ernie Hall and Republican candidates Loren Leman, Sarah Palin, Gail Phillips and Robin Taylor. The forum was sponsored by The Alaska Support Industry Alliance and the Resource Development Council for Alaska.
The candidates are listed below in alphabetic order:
Ernie Hall Ernie Hall says that he brings fresh views to the Democratic ballot due to his private sector business background and service on the board of the Anchorage Economic Development Corp., the UAA Chancellors Advisory Committee and the Anchorage School District Career Technology Advisory Committee.
Hall’s ideas for closing the fiscal gap include generating jobs which in turn generate income. He says Alaska needs to look at other income generators besides oil.
Hall is in favor of access to resources, but believes that there has to be a market and a financial return before government funds that access.
He also said revenues to the state would be higher if resources were processed in Alaska before shipping. He suggests having incentives in order to make resources more competitive with the outside.
Hall is opposed to Proposition 3, but not opposed to an Alaska gas pipeline. He believes that since Alaska has part ownership in the gas, he believes that the government should only have partial ownership in the gas pipeline, instead of full economic responsibility.
Loren Leman Loren Leman has served in the Alaska legislature since 1989. He currently serves as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Labor and Commerce Committee and the Health, Education and Social Services Committee.
Leman says he brings experience to the ballot, along with a vision for Alaska’s future.
In order to close the fiscal gap, Leman supports a realistic spending cap, new resource revenues, increased land sales, taxes along the lines of the alcohol tax and the continued use of government savings.
To make Alaska’s resources more accessible, Leman suggests improved road and railway access and opening the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Leman says that commercial North Slope gas must get to market.
In order for Alaska’s resources to be competitive with the outside market, Leman suggests a consistent application process.
When ask if he supported Proposition 3, Leman responded “yes, every bit of it yes.”
Sarah Palin Sarah Palin, now serving her second term as Wasilla’s first female mayor, was also elected twice to the Wasilla City Council.
Palin says she will bring new leadership to state government and does not plan to allow Alaska to become a “green space park place.”
In order to close the fiscal gap, Palin says her first priority will be to support the governor elect. She believes halting unnecessary hiring procedures will help solve the problem.
In order to make Alaska’s natural resources more accessible, Palin supports building more roads and working with the federal government on how Alaska’s resources should be used.
Palin says she will encourage new exploration by independent oil and gas companies and support vocational training in Alaska’s schools in order to tap into the local labor force.
In terms of regulatory reform, Palin says eliminating frivolous lawsuits is the first step to streamlining the permitting process.
To make resources such as oil, gas and timber more competitive, she suggests making a commitment to support industry by freezing oil and gas taxes for the next term.
Palin supports Proposition 3.
Gail Phillips Gail Phillips was an Alaska state representative from 1991 to 2000. She served as house speaker from 1995 to 1998, and served as house majority leader from 1993 to 1994.
Phillips says that experience, her unique ability to help people work together and gender balance of the Republican ticket are some of the things that she brings to the ballot.
Phillips supports spending reductions, expediting resource development, a biannual budget and using excess earnings reserves after the dividends are paid to close the fiscal gap. She does not support a spending cap.
Phillips supports regulatory reform and believes that the permitting process must be timely and have some “sanity” to it. She supports partnering with the private sector in order to make resources more accessible.
In order to make Alaska resources such as oil, gas and timber competitive, Phillips will encourage tax incentives, permit timeliness, regulatory stability and guaranteed access.
Phillips does not support Proposition 3.
Robin Taylor Robin Taylor has 18 years of experience in the Alaska Legislature and six years in the Alaska judicial branch.
Taylor says that he will not only provoke change in Alaska’s legislative branch, but he wants changes in the judicial branch as well.
He says he brings a wide-range of experience to the Republican ballot, and says there will be absolutely no dividend dipping to pay for Alaska’s government.
To close the fiscal gap, Taylor says he will first and foremost support the governor elect’s plans. He also says that developing resources, cutting spending and privatization will help close the gap. Taylor supports a spending cap.
In terms of access, Taylor said he never met a road he didn’t like. He supports establishing task forces to look at ways to bring up the value of Alaska’s resources.
He supports Proposition 3. Taylor says building the gas pipeline is key, pointing out that he introduced Senate Bill 221, which called for the pipeline.
Taylor says regulatory changes are needed to attract and keep industry in Alaska.
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