This year, the state of Alaska will pay $775 million in tax credit cash payments to subsidize the oil industry and their capital investments. Forget taxes. These are just subsidies.
The House just passed HB 247 by the narrowest of possible margins, 21-19, overcoming a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans. This version of HB 247 is a toothless “reform” of these $775 million in tax credit subsidies. With its passage, oil companies will continue to enjoy hundreds of millions of dollars of deductions and credit subsidies into the future. And remember, this is happening all the while there’s a proposal on the table to take money out of Alaskans’ Permanent Fund Dividends to balance the budget.
In a vote this close, every vote is a deciding vote. Juneau’s Republican Rep. Cathy Muñoz voted to support this oil tax credit subsidy legislation.
This isn’t the first time Muñoz voted against the interests of Juneau — when the stakes are high, her vote always seems to align with Republican legislative leadership.
In 2013, Muñoz changed her vote — first voting no then switching her vote to yes — to support then-Gov. Sean Parnell’s legislation cutting oil taxes, SB 21. (Juneau supported the repeal of this legislation by ballot referendum by a two to one margin.)
This year, Muñoz was also one of the deciding votes on HB 156, legislation that made it more difficult to teach sex and health education in public schools. The bill came up four different times for a vote. The first three times, Muñoz voted no. The fourth time, she voted yes.
Muñoz’s vote Monday on HB 247 is the third example of hugely important legislation to Alaska coming to the House floor and Muñoz inevitably lining up behind Republican leadership. For a third time, when the vote really mattered, she voted against the interests of Juneau and in support of tax credit subsidies and tax deductions for the oil industry.
Muñoz is my legislator, representing the district in which I live. I have a hard time supporting a legislator that is willing to vote to protect hundreds of millions in oil tax credit subsidies all the while the Legislature is considering to raise the gas tax and cut Permanent Fund Dividends. These votes matter. Juneau should remember them.
Chris Ashenbrenner,
Juneau