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It's deja vu all over again for Chickaloon Republican Representative Eric Feige. For the third time in his legislative career, Feige will vote on an oil tax reform bill. It’s an issue he's already dealing with front and center as chairman of the House Resources Committee.
"Every bill that comes before us gets adequate consideration,” said Feige. “I'm certainly very hopeful that at the end we will have an oil tax reduction, however, we are not going to push something across the table for the sake of pushing it across the table."
That is where Feige and his colleagues may have some common ground with their counterparts in the Democratic Minority. The caucus introduced its own bill last week, and is hoping some aspects of it are incorporated into the final package.
"I think that Alaskans, outside the building and in the legislature all know you have to get something from this resource, it's 98% of our budget,” said House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula (D-Sitka). “This is not something, as my grandma would say; you can put on a hope and a prayer."
A total of more than 200 bills and resolutions have been introduced in the legislature so far. A few of them have focused on touchy social issues including the 2nd amendment, abortion and drug testing for those seeking public assistance. It remains to be seen how many of those will meet the governor's pen by session's end.
"We've been a very important state in supporting individual rights,” said Kerttula. “We have a very proud constitution, which really is focused on individual liberties, so at the end of the day, my hope is the legislature will focus on the nuts and bolts of government."
Feige says the issue of oil tax reform should make it out of his committee by March.
"Resources in general, are certainly important issues for the legislature to consider, but we are responsible for it all,” said Feige. “We have to look at all the issues that come before us.”
Contact Adam Pinsker