“This is the single biggest issue in the state. How do you get a fair share for the oil revenue we all own in common,” French said. “I think it is likely to be the defining issue of this race.”

Berkowitz proposes the elimination of the ACES oil tax system that French and other Democrats were crucial in getting through the Legislature in 2007.

Click here to read the full story.

The dustup began about a week ago with an Anchorage Daily News article airing the views of both Berkowitz and state Sen. Hollis French, another Democrat in the primary race, on how to get the most bang for the buck out of oil taxes. Berkowitz, in the story as well as in commentary recently published in various media outlets, suggested replacing the tax law known as Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share with a field-by-field royalty structure.

Since then, local progressive bloggers and others have cried foul, basically accusing Berkowitz of selling out his Democratic colleagues who had fought hard for and helped pass the controversial legislation in 2007.

And on Wednesday, a handful of local Democratic lawmakers stood shoulder-to-shoulder with French in a press conference at French’s campaign headquarters to blast Berkowitz for his abdication of what they see as a key Democratic victory.

French reminded the small gathering of reporters that ACES stemmed from an effort to reform the “corrupt” taxing system that had afforded at least one major North Slope field a nearly-zero tax rate. ACES, which increased the tax rate particularly in years when oil process are high, also includes tax credits for exploration.

French and other Democrats said under ACES the state has been able to sock away more than $5 billion in budget reserves while paying for roads and schools, among other things, that might not have been funded before. They contend the tax structure actually stimulated North Slope employment, although oil companies dispute that contention.

“In my view, this is the single biggest issue in the state,” French said.

Click here for the full story.

Click here for the entire story.

“We need to put more jobs in the hands of more Alaskans. That is the biggest opportunity,” said Democratic state Sen. Hollis French. “That should be our objective — to make sure our children and the Alaskans who want to get jobs can get them on the boats, with the processors, on the beaches, wherever the jobs are.”

“The biggest hurdle is to prevent our fish from being caught and processed by individuals who don’t have a stake in our state, who don’t have an economic interest in our communities,” French added. “What you want is a strong waterfront community where individuals who want to live and work here have that opportunity. So the opportunity is to provide jobs for Alaskans, and the hurdle is outside ownership.”

Click here to read more.

Sen. Hollis French led the way in the disclosure legislation, which he and other lawmakers swiftly put together after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down limits on corporate funding of independent political campaigning in January. In brief, Alaska’s new law requires groups to report what they’re giving and what candidates or causes they support or oppose, and names and principal officers of the groups or donors.

Click here to read more.

…

The most notable cut to that spending plan is a planned expansion of Denali Kid Care, the state’s health-insurance plan for children and pregnant women.

The governor initially supported expanding the program — until his office did some further research.

“Unknown to me until recently, this program also funds abortions,” Parnell said.

“Any lawyer in Alaska knows that it’s medically necessary abortions, only as determined by a doctor in consultation with his patient,” said Sen. Hollis French.

Click here to read more.

Parnell says he does not want to expand government-funded abortions.

State Sen. Hollis French says the decision will deny health insurance to 1,200 low-income children and 300 mothers.

Click here to read more.

A campaign is about articulating a vision and demonstrating that you can actually get things done. This report will bring you up to date on some of my accomplishments during the 2010 legislative session.

Free the innocent, catch the guilty

DNA evidence can catch the guilty and free the innocent.

This year I sponsored legislation that requires the preservation of DNA evidence for as long as a serious crime remains unsolved. The bill also gives access, under certain conditions, to stored DNA evidence for prisoners who assert a claim of innocence.

The bill passed into law.  I worked very closely with the Innocence Project and the Department of Law on the bill.

Read about it here.

Corporations as people

In January the US Supreme Court ruled that corporations can spend unlimited dollars influencing elections. In February I, along with other leading Democrats, responded with a bill to contain this horrible decision. On the last day of session the legislature passed my bill into law.

Because we acted, you’ll know the identity of a corporation that spends money to influence an election in Alaska.  While we couldn’t overrule the US Supreme Court, I’m proud of the effort we made to contain the effect of the ruling.

Read more here.

Renewable energy for Alaska, and gas storage for Cook Inlet

When it comes to energy, Alaska has endless potential. My vision for the future is to continue selling our oil and to invest those revenues in renewable energy projects. The last two years have shown progress on this front, but we must do more. The steps we’ve taken towards bringing the Fire Island Wind Farm online, weatherizing Alaska’s homes and public buildings, and funding hydro projects in Southeast are all evidence of the concrete way forward for Alaska.

For Southcentral, I pledged last July to make certain that the homes and businesses here would not go cold in the middle of winter due to a gas supply disruption. I worked with Representative Mike Hawker on the issue and was proud to push his bill through the Senate.

The effort received this praise from the ADN editorial board:

“Rep. Mike Hawker and Speaker of the House Mike Chenault were prime sponsors, along with Sen. Hollis French in the Senate. This was good bipartisan work.”

Wildlife Management… one small step

In March, I outlined five different ways the Parnell administration has downgraded the role of science when managing Alaska’s wildlife. One example was the appointment of Al Barrette to the Board of Game. In April, the legislature rejected Al Barrette, in a small victory for sensible wildlife policy in Alaska.

We need to diversify the Board of Game, and not turn it over to extreme hunters and trappers. If I am elected Governor, I will look for individuals with a more well-rounded view of game management.

To find out more about the work that remains, click here to read and listen to my speech on the topic.

The list goes on…

Here are a few more of our accomplishments this year in Juneau:

- We expanded Denali Kid Care benefits to more low-income children in Alaska

- We forward funded education, to provide school districts with fiscal certainty

- We protected the state’s future by building our savings to $11 billion

I hope this update shows you how hard work can produce tangible results for all Alaskans.  Working together, we can make meaningful progress on a variety of the tough issues we face today.

Sincerely,

Senator Hollis French ]]> http://www.frenchforgovernor.com/in-the-media/2010-session-delivering-results-for-alaskans/feed/ 0 http://www.frenchforgovernor.com/in-the-media/french-campaign-travels-to-petersburg/ http://www.frenchforgovernor.com/in-the-media/french-campaign-travels-to-petersburg/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:39:16 +0000 manager http://www.frenchforgovernor.com/?p=312 March 10, 2010

Dear Supporter,

 When I started my bid for governor in Fairbanks last July, I promised an energetic statewide campaign. Last week I boarded the M/V Matanuska – one of the largest ferries in the Alaska Marine Highway System – and took that promise to Petersburg.

The ferry ride from Auke Bay to Petersburg took eight hours. I was invited up to the bridge to meet Captain Doty and his crew piloting the ship. The Matanuska is old — constructed in 1963 — and its maintenance costs are rising. The crew ran the ship at about 95% speed in order to not overtax the aging vessel.

Petersburg is halfway between Juneau and Ketchikan. I had a day and half to spend there, and my schedule was full. After a tour of town and an interview with the local radio station, KFSK, I met with Mayor Al Dwyer as he finished broadcasting his weekly rock and roll radio show. A trip to the harbormaster’s office gave me a chance to speak with local fishermen as they returned from the water. Later that day, sitting down with members of the Petersburg Economic Development Council also served as a reminder that fishing drives the local economy.

I was intrigued by stories of multi-generational fishing operations, and how they adjusted during challenging seasons. By changing gear types or pursuing different fish, these family-owned businesses made it through fish population fluctuations or downturns in market prices.

Afternoon conversations made it clear why people love living in Petersburg. A local businessman spoke passionately about his first experiences in town, when his wife was battling cancer. Every Friday for sixteen weeks running she underwent chemotherapy at the local hospital, and without fail someone in the community made certain that the couple had a meal delivered to their door on the days she received treatment. He told me he still does not know who organized the effort. The town just took care of it.

Petersburg has a rich history and innovative residents. With a strong education system, and with proper investments in public safety and the marine highway system, I’m confident that the residents of the community will keep the town thriving in the future.

I hope this update gives you a clear picture of the type of campaign we are running. It is about people – from our home towns, and from other areas in the state – that are coming together for an Alaska that looks to the future while honoring the traditions, like those in Petersburg, that make us proud to be Alaskan.

Sincerely,

Hollis French

Sen. Hollis French, an Anchorage Democrat and candidate for governor, has led the charge in a fast state response. He noted a “great sense of urgency” to get a bill in place to deal with what he expects to be an onslaught of corporate spending in elections.

“Disclose your expenses and put disclaimers in your ads so we can understand who is speaking to us,” said French, summarizing the intent.

Click here to read the full story.