Cockamamie pre-filed bills won’t solve Alaska’s real fiscal issues

Every year, before the Legislature convenes in Juneau, lawmakers submit their “pre-file bills,” a chance to tell the public which important issues they want to work on during the session. Just as cities and boroughs statewide submit their annual wish lists of local projects for legislative funding, the pre-files are a wish list of each lawmaker’s priorities.

And just as most local projects will not receive state funding, most pre-file bills will fail to become law. Most will not even get a hearing before a legislative committee, which is OK. Lawmakers have a lot to do in the next four months, and holding hearings on nowhere bills is no bridge to productive results.

Honestly, many pre-files are directed more at making friends with supporters and donors than they are well-reasoned efforts at reaching a successful compromise between differing opinions.

Elected leaders and the Alaska public have a lot of monumental problems to solve, including how to pay the bills for adequate public services and quality education in the years ahead; how to responsibly manage the Permanent Fund, the largest source of revenue for public services; how to structure future dividends from those revenues for Alaskans; and whether we want to be known as a no-tax, crumbling-services state or a state that offers a future for young people.

Sure-to-fail, unrealistic legislation is not going to help answer any of those questions.

Such as: Kenai Rep. Ron Gillham wants to completely exempt homes owned by senior citizens from municipal property taxes, leaving cities and boroughs to collect more from everyone else to keep the schools, police, fire and other services in operation.

The state for decades has prohibited municipalities from taxing the first $150,000 in assessed value of senior-owned homes. And although the state had promised to cover the revenue loss for cities and boroughs, that money stopped a quarter-century ago. Now Gillham wants to make it even harder on municipal budgets.

Gillham also wants a new state law that says pharmacists dispensing medications for COVID-19 do not have to consider whether the drugs are in the patient’s best interest. Here’s to your health.

Palmer Rep. DeLena Johnson wants to amend the state constitution to remove the prohibition against public funds for religious or private schools. This is not a line Alaska should cross.

Wasilla Sen. Mike Shower wants to see the Legislature meet in Anchorage for the second year of its two-year sessions, not Juneau. Sounds like a shared-custody arrangement between divorced parents.

Eagle River Sen. Lora Reinbold believes Alaska really truly needs a state law that says anyone can avoid a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for any reason, without having to explain why; that no employer has a right to decide the health and vaccination rules for their own workplace; and that restaurant owners have no right to decide on COVID health rules for in-person dining.

Instead of fighting political battles for the social media vote, more lawmakers should focus on the real issues of Alaska’s fiscal future. It would be a lot healthier for the state.

Larry Persily is a longtime Alaska journalist, with breaks for federal, state and municipal service in oil and gas, taxes and fiscal policy work. He is currently owner and editor of the weekly Wrangell Sentinel newspaper.

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