Video Clips

Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.

Clips from Alaska State SenateClear

Gary Stevens “5 days is virtually impossible for us to get through all of the steps”

Alaska Legislature recording 2026-08-10

Bill Wielechowski “We're not going to rubber stamp a bill that we've never seen, that we've never evaluated and have no idea what's in it at this point.”

Alaska Legislature recording 2026-08-10

Bill Wielechowski “They control 90% of the leases. And I agree, Hilcorp, very capable. They're very able to do this. But the state, the DNR, has mismanaged the leases in Cook Inlet.”

Alaska Legislature recording 2026-08-10

Robert Yundt “this is arguably the fourth most consequential piece of legislation in the history of the state behind statehood, TAPs, and the PFD.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

Robert Yundt “We need to change its diaper. Does that mean another special session? Does that mean the powers of free conference? I'm not quite sure, but I know everyone here is willing and ready to get back after it, so I do hope that we we continue on with this. I will be a no vote today because it's got a bad odor.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

Matt Claman “They were set up as a limited liability company. Company like over 11,000 companies in Alaska and because we have no personal income tax, when they came to Alaska there was no tax on them. There was no loophole. They came up with the existing structure.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

Robert Yundt “I was very very proud to vote for this bill last month, not because I thought it was perfect or even that I thought it was really that good, but because I knew it would lead to conference committee and that we would have another crack at it.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

Matt Claman “I do think this bill is, as I think many have said, far less than perfect. It raises in some respects more questions than answers. I was concerned that we never heard from Department revenue during the conference committee meeting this morning.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

Matt Claman “I look at the southern half of my district and I think about how the southern half really dislikes the S corp provisions but likes the portions about the gas line. And I look at the northern half of my district and they like the S corp provisions but they dislike the gas line provisions.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

James Kaufman “I believe this bill should have been about trying to enable the gas line, keep it as tight as we could to this subject, and not veer off into the other issues that end up thwarting or at least stalling it. So I hope we can get there. I guess I don't think this will be it, so I'll be a no on this.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

Robert Yundt “I have in my life seen a few ugly babies. And I will never admit to them which ones they were, but what I will tell you is they all grew up to be very beautiful, productive members of society. And that's where I think this bill could go. It's got a little bit of an odor.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

Matt Claman “The S corp provisions of this legislation continue to trouble me, and it, And that also is reflected in the division that I see within my district.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

James Kaufman “instead of the bill that we should have been working on, I believe, to deal with the tax treatment to enable the lifeblood of energy in Alaska for its citizens and the potential for monetizing that and really changing the game fiscally for the state became instead a bit of an attack on the ongoing situation that we have, which if we want to try and resolve our tax structure broadly with respect to the S corp, that's a worthy issue. Do it separately.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - July 16, 2026 11:00am · Jul 16, 2026

Justin Ruffridge “I want to ask the question, what about protecting the interest of our constituents, who I think have been worried for quite some time about what the answer is going to be to their energy solutions, and we're seeking maximum government take.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Bert Stedman “If you take the tax rate to zero, it still doesn't get this project over the line financially. So there's more work to be done by the developer to get this project economic.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Calvin Schrage “I move that the House Conference Committee adopt Work Draft 34-G HB 381, HB 2038/Q as the working document for HB 381 and ask for an objection for the purposes of an explanation of changes.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Calvin Schrage “We're going to continue to work through this process, continue to work on this committee substitute. This is not the final product and it will be refined further.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Bert Stedman “We have a property tax established in 1974 for 20 mils of our oil and gas. And that is a significant tax. And it hasn't been updated.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Bert Stedman “This is a significant reduction in the tax burden on this gas line in any way you cut it. And some of us are concerned maybe we are a little too aggressive in that direction.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Erik Gunderson “The new language amends the language outlining the legislature's finding that the project labor agreement, also known as a PLA, and apprenticeship utilization requirements are necessary to advance the project. The work draft removes reference to prevailing wage.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Justin Ruffridge “What I hear you say in a nutshell is the effect of the language is irrelevant. It's just the fact that the language exists or doesn't exist.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Bert Stedman “The economics of putting the project forward do not work at 20 mils. You cannot get it over the line. We're talking about a couple hundred million dollars a year more in debt service. So they need some relief through construction and, and then after first gas to make their economics work.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Justin Ruffridge “I think, Mr. Chair, of just a molecule of gas. For example, a molecule of gas in this state, if we are to produce a project, it's going to go through royalty payment. That's step number 1. It's going to be taxed for its production. It's going to be taxed for its gas treatment, taxed for its transport, taxed for its export, and then also pay sales tax on its use in the state.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Erik Gunderson “The removed language would have sunset the required RLC for the AVT 5 years after the final investment decision, also known as FID, on Phase 2. Modeling from Director Payne Painter and the Department of Revenue indicated this sunset would have effectively prevented any RLC from being paid on the AVT.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Calvin Schrage “I know we've had some positive feedback from stakeholders that we're moving in a good direction, including from the project developers, that we've made— that they're encouraged by the conversations that we're having here.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Erik Gunderson “Adds new subsection D6 specifying non-confidential documents filed and approvals received since the last report in connection with the natural gas pipeline project, including filings with FERC under the Natural Gas Act, filings and approvals from the U.S. Department of Energy related to free trade and non-free trade export authorizations and notices or declarations filed with the U.S. Department of Energy for review by CFIUS shall be included in the biannual report.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Justin Ruffridge “In effect, by taking out Section 3, you are saying that the Senate version did not allow AVT to be required to apply to required local contribution, and the House version did not require AVT to apply to local contribution, but now you're saying by the removal of Section 3 that AVT can apply to require local contribution, thereby making a substantive change in this conference committee to the effect of the bill on required local contribution.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Erik Gunderson “We amend Section 3509-020 to clarify when the alternative volumetric tax takes effect. Based on a Department of Revenue request for clarification, this clarification makes clear when the annual inflation adjustment begins, which is the year after Phase 1 begins for both the 6.2 cents starting rate for Phase 1 and 10.6, um, for Phase 2. This also changes Alaska CPI to US CPI to conform with changes made in Section 24.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Justin Ruffridge “I'm referencing the fact that the entirety of Section 3, which was the amendment on the Senate floor that essentially allowed the Senate floor version to match the House version, which was to effectively remove AVT from required local contribution, is entirely removed in this draft document before me.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Calvin Schrage “I want to emphasize that this draft committee substitute is not a final decision on conferenceable items, and I look forward to continued conversations with all of you as we further work to refine HB 381.”

Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Adam Prestidge “the scope of the amendment that was offered on the floor is very broad and doesn't reflect the careful discussion that the two parties worked on over the course of a 6-month negotiation and doesn't reflect the level of detail and complication that goes into labor planning for a mega project like this. And so I talked at the outset a little bit about the scope, how there are some exclusions. Most of the— a significant part of the project is allocated to be worked on by labor unions. The amendment that was proposed removes all of that and simply says all phases, all scopes, all contractors, all subcontractors must sign a PLA.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Bert Stedman “on this amendment, the rate would be the highest in the country for states that don't have income tax. I think the other one is maybe 7% range or something like that, and this is a little over 9%.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “having a bright line 15% requirement creates a lot— creates unworkable challenges for the project. First of all, there's no consideration in the amendment if there weren't available enough personnel to perform 15% of the hours as apprentices. It's just a flat requirement, 15% of the hours must be done by apprentices. And so the question would immediately come up, Well, if there weren't enough apprentices available to perform that much work, would we lose our tax eligibility?”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “Representative Rutherford, through the chair, that's exactly correct. It's another reason why we would make the argument that this isn't necessary, because the bill already had a very clear requirement requiring a project labor agreement for the project.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “On June 11th, uh, Glenn Fahren signed, executed, and announced a binding memorandum of understanding with the building trades councils from Fairbanks and Anchorage. And so, uh, what did that do? It set up a framework for future project labor agreements.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “Amendment 12 introduced Inflation language relating to the gas sales contracts from the pipeline to customers. Just to reiterate a bit of what we described earlier, this makes sense, but we'd suggest that it takes into account the inflation agreed between the project and the customer. That contract, of course, gets reviewed and approved by the RCA, and the project would not object to having a cap on that inflation of 3%. We just suggest that being US CPI, not Alaska CPI.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “our suggestion is that instead of having a broad amendment that dictates a few high-level principles about project labor agreements, we could instead legislate into law a requirement that the PLAs entered into will be substantially consistent with the binding MOU that was already executed between the project developer, between Glenfarm and the building trades councils.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Bryce Edgmon “I guess I'll circle back for a third time to either Mr. Prestidge or Mr. Mahoney. Is this about opposition to the tax itself or is this about the need to fix it?”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “I can't speak to that. I've got the only— the same language as you, and that's certainly one of the types of details that I'd prefer to work out in a detailed discussion with the unions rather than having it settled in legislation.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “Amendment 16 requires notification of any relationship with a foreign entity. That goes significantly beyond, beyond just ownership. It's really any contract, any joint venture, any type of agreement. That type of disclosure requirement would be unique and burdensome and would be a deterrent to counterparties potentially from wanting to be associated with the project, recognizing that they wouldn't have any commercial confidential protections.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “Amendment 14, uh, um, Summarizing, relates to the state's clawback option, which we discussed at some length in the hearing yesterday. It basically takes the carefully negotiated arrangement between Glenfarm and AGDC and removes all of the, I guess, the careful considerations around it and institutes an automatic reversion to the state with no compensation to, to the developer in the event that a milestone is lapsed. It's— we'd view that as extremely punitive to the project. Our legal counsel advises us that that could potentially qualify as an unconstitutional taking and potentially a violation of the Contracts Clause of the U.S. Constitution and would severely hinder the developer's ability and willingness to continue to operate in the state of Alaska.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Dan Stickel “the reason that we present that as indeterminate in terms of state impact is that we don't know for certain whether the project goes forward. So to say with certainty that we— that if you enact this provision, we will get X dollars of revenue for a provision that we don't know with certainty whether the project will go forward, we've built on assumptions which are uncertain, and then there's the uncertain impact of implementation implementing this policy on the project. And we have heard concern from industry that it would affect their investment decisions.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “as it stands, Amendment 16 would really chill off-takers and investors in the project.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “This labor MOU was negotiated on a very careful, very intensive basis. A lot of time, a lot of meetings, a lot of people involved in a 6-month negotiation process to reach an agreement that worked for both sides.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Bryce Edgmon “why wasn't this analysis done with other states? 99 Days later. You know, why on behalf of Alaska's interests did we not do the benefits? Because when I see these numbers, Alaska's PT, Proposed Rate, of 9.4% essentially tower over what other states that have non-elective taxes.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “my understanding is that this was not requested by the labor representatives themselves. That's what I've been told. But that it was instead offered by legislators who were intending to be helpful and make sure that labor's requirements were being met. We think that labor requirements are being met”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “Amendment 3 provided force majeure allowance, basically that if there is a date, a deadline for the project, it can be reasonably extended by the Department of Revenue Commissioner in the event of a force majeure. That is a helpful addition. It is good for the project.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

Adam Prestidge “It could be a little bit broader because force majeure is really kind of acts of God outside of the control of the project. There can be other delays to a project like this that wouldn't necessarily be picked up within a force majeure definition, such as archaeological finds or shipping delays. And so we'd advocate that it would be beneficial to the project to look at broadening that definition a little bit.”

Alaska Legislature: Joint Conference on HB381, 6/27/26, 2PM · Jun 27, 2026

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