Hannan talks next steps with constituents

Hannan talks next steps with constituents

Juneau Representative meets with voters at Douglas Library for a town hall meeting

Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, met with constituents at the Douglas Public Library Monday evening to discuss what happens now that Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s cut to the state budget have been allowed to stand.

The representative’s message was both big and small picture, talking about what’s going to happen the next couple of days, and larger changes to the state that could be enacted to potentially avoid such contentious political fights in the future.

“We don’t have a fiscal problem,” Hannan told the roughly 30 people gathered at the library, “we have a revenue problem.”

Hannan said that the state’s funds have been too tied to oil for too long, and that when the price of oil fell several years ago, the state’s revenue fell too.

It was time, she said, that the state start looking at other sources of revenue. She said that she had proposed a tax on nicotine vaping products, but that had failed to make it out of committee.

“You don’t know how many lobbyists there are,” Hannan said, “until you introduce a bill to tax vaping.” She said that cannabis vaping products are taxed along with all other marijuana products, but not so with nicotine products like Juul electronic cigarettes. She told the crowd that Juul had sent a representative from San Francisco to urge her to reconsider.

Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, meets with constituents at the Douglas Library, Monday evening to talk about the state budget and what happens next. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, meets with constituents at the Douglas Library, Monday evening to talk about the state budget and what happens next. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

She said that there hadn’t been any serious talk about new taxes in the legislature for several years, but in light of recent budget shortfalls, people were starting to come around.

“I think there’s a critical mass of people in this state that are willing to talk about oil and gas tax reform,” she said.

In addition to reconsidering the tax credits given to oil companies, there were a number of small taxes that could be enacted, which taken together, could produce significant income and make a dent in the state’s budget deficit.

“We don’t have a lot of state taxes unless you’re industry,” she said. She also said she was in favor of a progressive income tax. “I think it taps into our migratory, seasonal workers. Many of those people make their living in Alaska but they’re not paying Alaska,” she said.

One member of the audience asked if there was a way that the University of Alaska could be made more efficient in order to bring costs down.

“(The) Board of Regents is set up to make those decisions,” Hannan said. “I don’t want to micromanage the regents but I think the administration has made it clear that cuts need to be made.”

She referenced the Board of Regents meeting that took place earlier Monday, but was not aware of what transpired there.

The talk turned to House Bill 2001, currently in the House Finance Committee and under deliberation all week. The bill could potentially restore some of the funding cut by Dunleavy’s vetoes, but that bill too, is subject to veto.

The difference with HB 2001 is that it is the bill needed to appropriate funds for the Permanent Fund Dividend, a priority for both Dunleavy and his supporters in the legislature.

Asked whether it would have just been better to have gone to Wasilla, and tried to negotiate with the whole legislature there, Hannan replied that the law which said the governor had the power to set a location for a special session had never been used. Had the majority of the legislature gone to Wasilla it would’ve set a precedent that would make it more difficult to challenge the governor’s power on the matter more difficult.

“The day you go to Wasilla is the day your capital moves,” Hannan said she had heard other legislators say.

Hannan urged constituents not to lose hope, and stressed that options were still available. She expressed optimism that HB 2001 could be passed, but refused to speculate how many legislators would be in Juneau in the coming weeks.


• Contact reporter Peter Segall at 523-2228 or at psegall@juneauempire.com


More in News

The Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore docks in Juneau in October, 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Ships in Port for t​​he Week of Sept. 17

Here’s what to expect this week.

Jordan Creek flows over a portion of a footbridge behind a shopping center Thursday evening. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for Jordan Creek, Montana Creek and Auke Lake until 10 a.m. Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Flood warning for Jordan Creek, Montana Creek and Auke Lake issued until 10 a.m. Friday

Glacier Highway, structures near Jordan Creek may inundated, according to National Weather Service.

Soon-departing Assembly member and Deputy Mayor Maria Gladziszewski smiles for a photo at her seat in the Assembly chambers Thursday afternoon. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Q&A: Deputy Mayor Gladziszewski prepares for departure, shares advice to candidates

The long-serving Juneau Assembly member nears the end of her final term.

Participants in the 38th Annual International Coastal Cleanup carry a fishnet to a boat on a coast near Sitka in August. (Ryan Morse / Sitka Conservation Society)
Resilient Peoples and Place: Coastal cleanup removes 1,400 lbs. of trash from Sitka’s beaches

Effort by wide range of groups part of global project that has collected 350 million lbs. of waste.

Cars drive past the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation building in Juneau on Thursday. This year’s Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,312, the state Department of Revenue announced. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
This year’s official Permanent Fund dividend: $1,312

Distribution of payments will begin Oct. 5.

Albino Mbie, a Mozambique-born musician whose band is now based in Boston, performs during a youth jam at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Wednesday night as a prelude to the Áak’w Rock Indigenous music festival that starts Thursday. His band is scheduled to perform at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Áakʼw Rock ready for full-fledged opening as ‘monumental, historic event’

Youth jam Wednesday offers preview as only Indigenous music festival in U.S. makes in-person debut.

This is a photo of the front page of the Juneau Empire on Sept. 21, 2005. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Empire Archives: Juneau’s history for the week of Sept. 24

Three decades of capital city coverage.

Photo of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Jarvis, date unknown. (Courtesy of Jack Hunter/ All Present and Accounted For)
Of things Jarvis, heroic men and reindeer

Author Steven Craig giving a talk on David Jarvis and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Jarvis

Eleven of the 14 candidates seeking four seats on the Juneau Assembly in the Oct. 3 municipal election answer questions during a forum Friday night at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Assembly candidates challenged to offer plan of action, not just talk, at Tlingit and Haida forum

11 of 14 contenders for four seats get extra time to respond to some tough questioning.

Most Read