Video Clips

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

Pete Ecklund “These changes are intended to make the tax easier to understand and much easier to administer.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

James Kaufman “Financing, because it leaves open the problem that one— one problem that pops up could possibly threaten that, and that is going to make it very hard for anyone that's going to finance this to consider that, because any force majeure— I don't know if that's covered here— a pandemic, something, an earthquake or whatever, could put them in jeopardy. And so I think And AGDC is right here in the room, but we are told that we have to take them at ease. We can't even bring them up to speak to potential concerns that might be in this piece of work”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Lyman Hoffman “This morning we have only one item on today's agenda, that being HB 381, oil and gas property tax and municipal tax.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Alexi Painter “So assuming the capital costs match the DOR projections, then this would make no substantial change, but it doesn't require collecting capital cost data. So then this bill has a couple of new provisions that were not in the House version. So the first is that after 10 years after Phase 2 begins, there is an additional levy. So in addition to the 10.6 cents, there is another 10.6 cents $10.6 million. So essentially, the tax doubles at that point.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Pete Ecklund “it adds a new potential termination of the abatement period and the alternative volumetric tax if a final investment decision is not reached by January 1st, 2028, and if construction of the pipeline component is not completed by December 31st, 2032.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Bert Stedman “I think if they meet the previous date of final investment decision by January 1st of '28 and start construction, I think there'd be probably be some flexibility by the legislature in the event that there was some unforeseen black swan events or something that messed up the construction, slowed it down intentionally, or whatever to, you know, we can change these and modify these going forward. This is not in the Constitution.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

James Kaufman “We've got a big question on page 27 with respect to the construction timeline of it possibly being a deal killer with respect to finance.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Alexi Painter “So in this committee substitute, in Phase 1, as Mr. Eklund said earlier, the tax will be 6.2 cents per 1,000 cubic feet. That was kind of a rounded version of the effective tax rate of the House version during that phase of the project. So that bill had a 6-cent tax on the pipeline component and and then a 13-cent tax on the gas treatment plant. With the smaller gas treatment plant, that blends to a rate of about 6.2 cents, just rounded to the nearest cent of a cent in this bill. And when this tax takes effect, the revenue split is in box A there.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Alexi Painter “Starting when this tax takes effect, which would be 5 years after Phase 1 first gas or 500 million per day average throughput. All tax rates grow at a rate equaling CPI, but not less than 1% and not more than 3%.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Alexi Painter “Then that would double, so 4.8 mills, and then double again to 9.6 mills. Of course, property value is not going to be fixed over the life of the project. So it is possible that after 30 years, the project will be worth less because it will be 30 years old or they will have done work and the value will go up. It removes that variable.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Pete Ecklund “Note, all these tax rates grow with inflation, bounded between 1% and 3%. And that is a change from the other body's version where the inflation was capped at growing at 1 to 2%. The split of the tax between the local governments and the state is also fixed in this committee substitute rather than depending on capital expenditures. The splits are designed to match the effect of the House version as modeled on slide 42 of Department of Revenue's presentation last Monday.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Jesse Kiehl “This is a straight fixed cents per 1,000 cubic feet regardless of the value?”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Alexi Painter “This initial tax will be— will go through the distribution in Box B. So this provides 48.4% of the tax to Kenai Peninsula Borough, 27% for the North Slope Borough, 9.5% by pipeline mileage. That again includes both of those local governments, but also others in the state. 9.5% To community assistance, and then 5.6% to the state as general fund revenue. And these amounts are again the approximate result of the House version of this bill, just without the weighting.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 19, 2026 9:01am · Jun 19, 2026

Stan Gregor

“I'm going to be voting yes tonight. It's first reading. I generally do when I get to before the public hearing, but I imagine we'll be hearing from some of the telecommunication companies on this amended version to see how that feels for them.”

Petersburg Borough: 6.15.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jun 19, 2026

Stan Gregor

“The resolution passes unanimously on a 6-0 mark.”

Petersburg Borough: 6.15.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jun 19, 2026

Stan Gregor

“Ordinance 2026-14, an ordinance amending Title 19 Zoning of the Petersburg Municipal Code to regulate wireless communication facilities and other towers and transmitters. This will be the first reading.”

Petersburg Borough: 6.15.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jun 19, 2026

Stan Gregor

“just as a point of clarification for you, Ms. Ummer, the land sale failed on a 2-4 basis, just, just as a detail, just so you know.”

Petersburg Borough: 6.15.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jun 19, 2026

Stan Gregor

“Resolution 2026-14 passes unanimously, 6 to 0, in its first reading.”

Petersburg Borough: 6.15.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jun 19, 2026

Stan Gregor

“I do support this amendment. As those who are listening at the last meeting when we discussed this ordinance, that was my primary reason of voting no. I didn't feel like going through a full amendment process during that meeting. My time— my thinking at the time was to either have Planning and Zoning looking at— look at it, or legal counsel. So, um, uh, I feel like this is an important amendment for the very specific reasons Member Newman mentioned.”

Petersburg Borough: 6.15.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jun 19, 2026

Erin Baldwin Day “The former, or I guess still current operator of the facility expressed to us that there were Several hundred thousand dollars worth of work in needed repairs and replacements at the Sullivan, and that those included major concession area work, walk-in coolers and freezers, compressors, LED visual displays, life safety upgrades, security systems, ice rink equipment, sound system components, etc. And I did not do any homework to verify the validity of those claims that were made. So I'm curious, I really want to be sure that if there— that we have a plan for addressing those things that does not leave a new operator on the hook for potentially significant investment that they did not plan for.”

Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re Proposed Management Contracts for the Sullivan, Boeke and Dempsey Ice Arenas · Jun 18, 2026

Anna Brawley “there's multiple possibilities. Obviously one is we pass them on Tuesday. The second is they get postponed to our next regular meeting is July 7th. A third option is we have a special meeting if folks do want to have time.”

Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re Proposed Management Contracts for the Sullivan, Boeke and Dempsey Ice Arenas · Jun 18, 2026

Erin Baldwin Day “relating to the, to the audit, I'm curious if we actually have a physical inventory of municipally owned property at this time, because that was one of the things that came out in the audit was that the contractor had never performed or submitted an actual physical inventory of the municipally owned property in the space. And I would hope that our new contractor would begin with an accurate inventory that could then be maintained.”

Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re Proposed Management Contracts for the Sullivan, Boeke and Dempsey Ice Arenas · Jun 18, 2026

Betsy Wood “this slide Describes the performance period for this funding cycle, which is the Spring 2026 Rural Health Transformation Program funding cycle. So the performance periods throughout the life of the program determine when you can carry out project activities and when you can spend those awarded funds.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Betsy Wood “we also anticipate having a fall cycle. So, I would say the next funding opportunity under the Rural Health Transformation, we're anticipating launching this in the fall. Those performance periods would likely begin January 1st, 2027.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Heidi Hedberg “We received almost 1,800 letters of interest that represent about $2.5 billion in requests.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Betsy Wood “for the first performance period, implementation projects will have an 11-month performance period running from August 1st of this year through June 30th of 2027. In future years, we anticipate that those performance periods would be 12-month performance periods. We're just all on a bit of a shorter timeline this first round, given the program buildup and given the shorter budget period that, that the state and CMS are working under here as well.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Heidi Hedberg “It's going to close 9:00 AM on June 22nd. Between June 22nd to mid-July, we are going to go through the review process and decisions will be— notifications on funding decisions. Our goal is late July. Our goal is that funding and program work starts August 1st. So you can see this compressed timeline that we are under.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Heidi Hedberg “the needs far exceed the available funding. When we looked at all of the LOIs, what we saw were some common themes. Around behavioral health, access to specialty care, needs around facility and equipment upgrades, chronic disease management as we're really looking at improving our health outcomes, traditional healing, and a lot around workforce. Those were some of the top common themes from the letters of interest. As we reviewed all of those letters of interest, About 400 were advanced to the full application process.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Heidi Hedberg “The estimated time is at 3 o'clock. If it doesn't open up exactly at 3 o'clock, it's okay. It's gonna open up today.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Heidi Hedberg “$272 million is year 1. We are prioritizing, um, the, the funding towards the request through this LOI process. There are some state activities, but it's very small and very limited. Again, all of the work that we are doing is focused on the transformation of the healthcare system, improving health outcomes across our 3 goals that represents 6 different initiatives. The year 2 cycle— and Betsy, I want you to correct me if I'm wrong— some of the year 1 will have continuing funding needs because it's a multi-year application.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Heidi Hedberg “there will be funding available for new projects in year 2, but there's also gonna be funding for projects carrying on from year 1 to year 2. We don't know what those percentages are going to be because this is live action as we are creating this with all of you in real time.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Heidi Hedberg “of those 400, the needs exceed the available funding. And so it's really, I wanna reiterate to all of you that this is a competitive grant”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Heidi Hedberg “we are creating this program as we are all learning from each other, and this is the timeline that is before us. I do want to reiterate, though, of the 403 proposals, um, there, the funding request exceeds the available funding.”

Alaska Dept. of Health: Implementation Application Walkthrough Webinar (June 1, 2026) · Jun 2, 2026

Julie Matweyou “A variance request was submitted pursuant to code. If approved, it will allow for the regrading to take place after board approval, as opposed to completing the work prior to public hearing.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Julie Matweyou “I keep having trouble with the one person who has concerns about the grading, that after— if we approve this and then they grade and it's a mess for this other one, uh, what happens? So part of what they're going to have to supply is an updated soils report and do the work within the scope of our PD&E approval. So, if they're doing regrading, a drainage report would be a requirement if they're exceeding that minimum threshold of 10,000 square feet of total moved land.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

“We can recess for 15 minutes. Let me see if the attorneys are available. Okay, I'm going to call a recess.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Michael Gillson “let's say you guys do everything right, 100% right. The borough does 100% everything, 100% right. And I'm just going to use this as an example and not say that Mr. Maxey is going to do this, but just as an example, that a year or two down the road, all of a sudden his lot gets flooded. Maybe just something changed that no one knew about and it was going to happen anyway, but we as a borough approved this, the engineers designed whatever they designed”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Michael Liebing “Madam Chair, I move to approve the variance from Matsu Borough Regulation 43.20.281 area and the preliminary plat of Tennakee Cove, Section 29, Township 17 North, Range 03 West, Seward Meridian, Alaska, contingent upon staff recommendations 1 through 12.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Fred Wagner “the approval of this variance actually protects the public more than denying the variance. If you deny the variance, they can just go out there, start moving dirt, and the neighbor doesn't have— you know, he gets what he gets. So I, uh, I commend Ms. Runfeld on their variance.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Julie Matweyou “The request for a variance is really just a workaround to get it back to where we can do it as a condition of approval again. This is something that we've done many times in the past. It's just due to legal technicalities, we're having to go through an extra hoop. They will still have to provide a soils report as the conditions are laid out after all regrading is completed, showing that they meet the requirements.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Michael Gillson “What protects the borough from any litigation Mr. Mackey— Maxey might do, or anyone else in this situation?”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Michael Liebing “we approve, uh, preliminary plats with drainage plans frequently. Uh, we have no absolute guarantee that those drainage plans do what they're supposed to, but we rely on an engineer's statement. I see And again, the fact that there's a variance involved here doesn't change any of that position for me.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Julie Matweyou “Eli Ward, a registered professional engineer, notes that regrading will be required to achieve usable area for septic. The petitioner is requesting a variance from Borough Code 4322-81 Area, as the regrading needs to be completed prior to achieving the usable area. Code would have required them to submit and complete the work prior to the public hearing. They're requesting it to do the work after board approval.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

“there's been other developments in Big Lake where the developer did what they did and they ended up flooding other people's property and the roads, and it took years for that to get resolved, and the borough was on the hook for, for taking care of that.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

“we are going to have to move a considerable amount of gravel. Um, if you— the large remainder parcel to the west We have to make 10,000 flat square feet for the septic. So, at a minimum, we are moving at least 10,000 square feet of gravel in order to create— I think almost every lot we're going to have to create 10,000 square feet of, and we will have to do a drainage report.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

Julie Matweyou “it used to be that it was common practice for regrading to be a condition of approval because that is a large investiture of money prior to getting board approval for a project. Recently, our legal department had come back and said the way code is specifically written, we weren't actually able to make it a condition.”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

“The request is to create 5 lots in Parcel 1, Matsubara Waiver Number 85-5, recorded as 89-10W, to be known as Tiniki Cove, Canadian— containing 10.44 acres plus or minus. A variance is usable— a variance to usable area requirements is being requested to allow for regrading prior to final recordation”

Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026

“We have certified the 1% seasonal sales tax initiative petition, so we forwarded that off on Friday to the Assembly to notify them of the 45 days if they would like to enact similar legislation. And then we received the mill rate cap initiative petition back to our office, and we are currently reviewing signatures and started that work yesterday.”

Juneau: June 18, 2026 Special Assembly Meeting · Jun 18, 2026

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