Politics

Willy Dunne, resident of Fritz Creek,
 in support of a Borough-wide, vote-by-mail option for elections on the Kenai Peninusla.
The views expressed in this commentary are Mr. Dunne’s alone and do not reflect those of KBBI’s staff board or volunteers.

To respond to this commentary or to submit a commentary on any topic of local interest, email kathleen@kbbi.org.

Transcript:

Borough Assembly President Kelly Cooper and Borough Assemblymember Willy Dunne are the guests on this week's Coffee Table. 

Kathy Carssow is a volunteer for the Recall Dunleavy effort in Homer.

The views expressed in this commentary do not reflect those of KBBI’s staff board or volunteers.
 

Transcript:

Hello, this is Kathy Carssow. I volunteer on the Homer Recall Dunleavy campaign.  In just 3 weeks, over 11 hundred voters on the Southern Kenai Peninsula signed the petition to put the recall question before Alaska voters.  Now Recall Dunleavy has launched “Sign At Home,” a safe and remote way for you to join us in putting Alaska back on track.

District 31 Representative Sarah Vance of Homer, called from Juneau on Thursday afternoon.

She spoke with KBBI’s Kathleen Gustafson for this Legislative Update.

Rep. Vance:
This has been a full week. We passed the budget and everything.

KBBI:
Do you want to start with the budget?

Vance:
So we passed the  operating budget, which was unprecedented 43 days - out of the house. It's now on its way to the Senate. It was just above the governor's ask.

About 200 residents of the Homer area turned out on leap year day to sign on the dotted line in a statewide effort to recall Governor Michael Dunleavy. Signers represented the full political spectrum if the logos on their gear is any indication. They showed up in jackets embroidered with mining company logos, rifle scopes, Grateful Dead skulls and the names of their favorite fishing charters and some came to sign wearing basic Homer fleece. Volunteers wore matching Recall Dunleavy t-shirts. Organizers are headquartered in a cabin on Lake Street in downtown Homer.

District 31 Representative Sarah Vance called from Juneau earlier this week. She spoke with KBBI’s Kathleen Gustafson for this Legislative Update.
 

Vance’s amendment to the Operating Budget Bill to put $100k in the Abandoned Vehicle Fund, passed this week. Follow the link to House Bill 275.
 http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/31?Root=HB%20275

On Tuesday night the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly joined the City of Homer and other municipalities around the state and nation in coming out against corporate personhood in the form of the U.S. Supreme Court case, Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission.

Only one citizen came out in support of the Citizens United Case, a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited corporate donations to political campaigns under the guise of free speech.

The deadline for collecting signatures to reset the state’s oil tax formula is less than a week away. Organizers say they already have the required 40,000 signatures to get on the ballot. As KBBI’s Jay Barrett reports, the Fair Share Act seeks to reverse declines in state revenue, even as oil prices have rebounded from their last slump.

Former Homer Rep. Paul Seaton is one of many signature-gatherers around the state supporting the initiative. He explains how the new tax regime would work if it is passed by voters.

District 31 Representative Sarah Vance held public meetings last week in  Ninilchik, at McNeil Canyon School, at the Anchor Point VFW and at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer. 

Alaska's Fair Share oil tax initiative announced on Thursday that they have collected the required 40,000 signatures to place their initiative on the ballot. The initiative aims to amend existing laws, most notably Senate Bill 21 A, to increase Alaskan's share of production revenues by increasing the gross tax rate and eliminating net tax credits.
Update:
This story has been updated to include initiative sponsor and attorney, Robin Brena.