If you listened to all of the testimony Tuesday night, you’d come up with a surprising conclusion: Alaskans want an income tax.<\/p>\n
In a marathon 4½-hour session of public testimony, members of the Alaska Senate Labor and Commerce Committee heard from more than 100 Alaskans with opinions.<\/p>\n
A majority of those Alaskans asked the Alaska Senate to follow in the footsteps of the Alaska House and pass House Bill 115, creating Alaska’s first income tax since 1980.<\/p>\n
“We’ve forgotten, because of our resource wealth, that this is our obligation,” said Bruce Jaffa of Moose Pass.<\/p>\n
As many as 60 percent of testifiers were in favor of the tax, though the exact tally depends on who’s doing the counting.<\/p>\n
Staff for Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer and the bill’s No. 1 backer, counted 61 people in support, 48 opposed and 5 indeterminate. Staff for Sen. Mia Costello, R-Anchorage and chairwoman of the committee, counted 54 speakers in favor of the tax and 53 against.<\/p>\n
Staff from the Senate Records Office counted 61 proponents and 55 opponents.<\/p>\n
Duane Christensen of Anchor Point remarked at the unexpected wave of support for the tax.<\/p>\n
“I’m either in an alien alternate universe or I’m still in Anchor Point,” he said before adding that he opposes HB 115.<\/p>\n
“You’re the thin red line standing against the tearing-apart of our future,” he told the senators listening by phone.<\/p>\n
Tuesday’s testimony was unusual because the limited statewide opinion polling publicly available indicates most Alaskans are still opposed to the tax.<\/p>\n
In late February and early March, a statewide poll conducted by the Alaska Chamber of Commerce found that only 41 percent of Alaskans support an income tax. In Southeast Alaska, a small majority favor the tax.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the support came not just from Southeast Alaska, but from across the state.<\/p>\n
From Homer, retired accountant Clyde Boyer Jr. said he didn’t “see any problems by my clients when Alaska had a state income tax before,” and he doesn’t think Alaskans will have problems with it again.<\/p>\n
Juneau’s Beth Rivest said she supports the tax because it is “part of a plan to help all Alaskans” by fixing the state’s deficit.<\/p>\n
“I am a human, and I believe in humanity, and there are people we have to care for,” she said.<\/p>\n
Opponents of the measure called for the Legislature to cut more from the state budget (it has been reduced 44 percent since 2012) before implementing a tax.<\/p>\n
“Reduce the government and budget before you would tax the private economy. Kill this bill,” said David Boyle of Anchorage.<\/p>\n
“Our budget is out of control,” said Matt Steele of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. “The income tax cannot go through. I beg you to stop it.”<\/p>\n
• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com or call 419-7732.<\/b><\/p>\n
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