Latest news with #ElviGray-Jackson
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dunleavy administration is blocking billion-dollar audit of oil tax disputes, legislators say
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, speaks in the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) The Alaska Legislature is moving rapidly to pass a bill that would force Gov. Mike Dunleavy's administration to disclose reports that could show the state settling oil tax disputes for significantly less than what is owed. 'This bill shouldn't be necessary, but here we are today,' said Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage and chair of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, in a Thursday hearing by the House Rules Committee. 'Either the Department of Revenue has already compiled the information requested in the special audit for its own use and is deliberately withholding it from the legislative auditor, or it has failed to do the basic work of calculating the tax, interest, and penalties assessed for each audit cycle,' she said. 'Frankly, I'm not sure which of those scenarios would be more troubling.' The Senate passed Senate Bill 183 on a 19-0 vote Monday. The House of Representatives could vote on it as soon as Friday. Dunleavy could veto it, allow it to pass into law without his signature, or sign it. If enacted, it would require the executive branch to disclose information 'in the form or format requested' by legislative auditors. Under the Alaska Constitution, the Legislature is responsible for overseeing executive branch operations, but since 2019, the legislative auditor has been unable to properly examine the part of the Department of Revenue that audits tax payments by oil and gas companies. 'In the past, the Department of Revenue provided the Legislature with organized summaries showing the total amount of additional tax, interest and penalties assessed for each annual tax cycle,' Gray-Jackson said. 'However, the department now claims it is only required to provide access to raw data, not to compile or categorize information in a usable format, as it had done previously.' Though legislators can examine raw data, they don't have the resources to process them. The change makes analyzing the executive branch's actions impossible, Gray-Jackson said. Legislators have written letters and asked for access, to no avail. 'Unfortunately, the issue remains unresolved, and the auditor still cannot complete this important audit, which concerns the oversight of billions of dollars in state oil and gas revenue,' she said. Until 2019, the first year of Dunleavy's administration, Department of Revenue tax auditors regularly published a memo summarizing total tax and interest assessed after its annual audit cycle. By combining that information with the amount paid in settlements, lawmakers and the public could see what share of assessed taxes and interest were being paid. Without the tax and interest information, it's not clear how oil companies' settlement payments compare with the original state assessments. Under the Alaska Constitution, the Legislature is responsible for overseeing executive branch operations, and the memo was part of that oversight. When the memos stopped, legislative auditors asked for them and were told that they were now confidential. At the time, members of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee were so concerned that they commissioned a special audit of the executive branch's auditors. For five years, they've been unsuccessful. Members of the executive branch say they're not required to turn over compiled reports, only raw data. 'That interpretation overturns long-standing precedent,' said legislative auditor Kris Curtis, 'and it essentially limits the oversight by the Legislature. The fear is that state agencies from here on out will refuse to provide or compile data in any type format for future legislative audits.' Destin Greeley, an audit supervisor for the Department of Revenue, testified Thursday that providing what Curtis requested 'is creating this new work product that is very time-consuming and trying to put a square peg in a round hole for us.' Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, said she doesn't understand why that suddenly became difficult for the Department of Revenue to do. 'I am not buying your story, and this is a huge red flag for me,' she said. 'When you've got hundreds of millions of dollars involved, I'm worried,' Stutes said. Legislative attorney Emily Nauman said she believes the new bill will resolve the ongoing dispute 'if the department complies with the law.' If not, she said, the topic could head to the courts. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska Legislature passes bill establishing March as Women's History Month
Mar. 28—JUNEAU — The Alaska Legislature on Friday approved a measure to establish March as Women's History Month. Senate Bill 43 states that schools, community groups, and other public and private agencies may honor "the contributions that women have made in the history of the state and the United States" with "appropriate activities." Anchorage Democratic Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson was the lead sponsor behind SB 43. The Senate unanimously passed the measure earlier in the month. The Alaska House passed the same bill on a 33-2 vote with five lawmakers absent. Republican Reps. Julie Coulombe and Mike Prax were the only no votes. Anchorage Democratic Rep. Carolyn Hall introduced the bill on the House floor. She presented a long list of women who had contributed to Alaska history — including lawmakers, community leaders, civil rights activists and dog mushers — such as Bettye Davis, DeeDee Jonrowe and Gail Phillips. "How many of us know of their accomplishments, their leadership or their fortitude?" Hall asked rhetorically. "These women are Alaska's history," Hall later said. She said that the purpose of Women's History Month "is to lift up, recognize and integrate women's experiences into our state's narrative." The Alaska House is majority women for the first time in state history. Twenty-one of the chamber's 40 members are women. Fairbanks Democratic Rep. Ashley Carrick noted that the House Tribal Affairs Committee is the first legislative committee in state history to have all women members. After the vote, Coulombe said in a brief interview that she voted against the measure because "this isn't going to help women. I want policies that actually help women." "We keep hearing that we have a majority of women in the Legislature, and I take offense that I'm a woman legislator. I'm just a legislator. I want to be treated equally," she added. U.S. Congress declared March as National Women's History Month in 1987. Since then, presidents have issued annual proclamations to honor American women. Former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola testified in "enthusiastic support" for SB 43. Peltola — the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. House — said Women's History Month would honor Alaska women from all walks of life. "By recognizing Women's History Month, we make it clear to women, especially young women and girls, that they should not be afraid to be the bold leaders Alaska needs to guide us into the future," she said. "We also honor the trailblazers who came before us, displayed remarkable leadership, and now serve as role models for our generation and the next." SB 43 does not create any new state holidays or new regulations. State agencies estimate no cost to establish Women's History Month in Alaska. SB 43 now advances to Gov. Mike Dunleavy's desk for his consideration.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska Senate approves ‘Women's History Month' declaration, sends it to House
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 43, declaring March as Women's History Month, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) The Alaska Senate voted 19-0 on Monday to declare March as Women's History Month in Alaska. Senate Bill 43, sponsored by Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, advances to the House for consideration. A hearing will take place at 3:15 p.m. Thursday in the House State Affairs Committee. No new regulations or holidays would be declared if the bill were to become law, and state agencies estimate no costs. Speaking before the vote, Gray-Jackson said women like Katie John, Mary Peltola and Lisa Murkowski are examples for young girls to follow, and preserving the history of their actions, through an annual observance, is important. 'It will serve as a yearly reminder that women's contributions are not an afterthought. They are the foundation of our past, our present and our future,' Gray-Jackson said of the declaration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
