Gov. Sean Parnell is claiming his integrity has been challenged in a growing feud over who influenced the governor’s oil tax reduction bill.
The dispute became public earlier this week when Rep Mike Doogan, D-Anchorage, became increasingly vocal about his ability to get information from the Parnell Administration.
Other legislators have expressed similar concerns.
Doogan, from his seat on the House Finance Committee and in Public Records Law requests, has sought to learn who Parnell met with to craft his House Bill 110, which would lower oil taxes on the industry by billions of dollars.
Parnell, in a letter to Doogan, said that his request for that information “implies that by meeting with representatives of the oil and gas industry, my administration has engaged in conduct that somehow compromises the integrity of the proposed legislation.”
Doogan said that when he asked Department of Revenue Commissioner Bryan Butcher, he believed that information would be provided.
After additional requests but still no information, Doogan said he filed a formal freedom of information request and was told the administration did not have a list of whom they’d met with. He called that “troubling.”
“Either they didn’t actually keep track of what companies they talked with, or they have a list and they just don’t want to give it to me,” Doogan said.
He described the Parnell administration’s response to his request as a “cone of silence.”
Parnell’s angry response to Doogan came in a letter Friday that said the administration was continuing to work on its response and “I take exception to these insinuations.”
Friday, Doogan cast a protest vote against the confirmation of Butcher as Revenue Commissioner to protest the lack of information.
Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage, said he was starting to get information that the state’s big oil producers actually participated in writing the governor’s bill, but wasn’t yet sure enough of it to vote against Butcher.
“If that information does come to light, this whole body should be concerned,” Gara said.
Parnell said the bill was his administration’s work, and that to suggest anything else was “false and misleading.”
Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak, called the allegations “a swirl of innuendo and rumor,” that began with a conclusion seeking facts.
Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, said he was having his own problems getting information from the Parnell administration.
A consultant working for Parnell told senators that the state needed more information about oil company decision making to base its analysis on, but Wielechowski said they have not been able to get more details on what’s needed.
“When the governor’s expert says Alaska is handicapped in our decision-making capacity, that sends up red flags.” Wielechowski said.
Rep. Eric Feige, R-Chickaloon, defended Butcher, saying it was not his fault he couldn’t provide information.
“Quite frankly, he was restricted by existing state law which limited the amount of information he could convey to us.”
Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, voted for Butcher, but she said she was troubled by the lack of response to the two questions. Butcher was approved 51-8.
Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, said the bill still has to go through the Senate Finance Committee, which he co-chairs. If the questions are not answered there, the bill will not move, he said.
“I don’t want the public getting the impression that the Legislature is going to work with two-thirds of the information,” he said.
• Contact reporter Pat Forgey at 586-4816 or at patrick.forgey@juneauempire.com.
Comments (16)
Add commentThe governor is a lap dog of the oil companies.
The governor is a lap dog of the oil companies. Any legislator who opposes the oil companies risks losing big financial support from those companies, given that the Supreme Court has decided that corporations have the same rights as individuals. Democracy has turned into one dollar, one vote.
show some integrity
If there is nothing to hide then it should be no problem to provide the information requested. I can't help but think there is something to hide if someone gets easily offended and says "What, don't you trust me?"
This is like when Dick Chaney
This is like when Dick Chaney met behind closed doors regarding the US energy policy and this meeting only included oil and gas lobbyists.
It was criminal behavior and he betrayed the American public.
Our energy policy must change, we have to get off fossil fuels.
We release a billion tons of Carbon (from fossil fuels into the atmosphere) every year and it mixes with the ocean causing Ocean Acidification this acid is killing the food chain in our oceans, it is killing the oceans ecosystems.
Ocean Acidification is the twin evil of Global Warming and
we are in fact in deep sh it because of people like Dick Chaney and Sean Parnell.
Flawed Logic
By the Governor's logic, zero taxes on the oil companies would fill the pipeline with oil again. The only problem with this thinking is there would be no benefit to the state from the increased oil production.
It's because his integrity IS
It's because his integrity IS being questioned.
With the bailout, our country just gave away more money that has ever been given in the history of the world and they gave it to the rich. Did the country get jobs, heck no.
Because of this, our country is literally going out of business and no one is connecting it to the bailout.
With a HUGE, profitable tax cut, Alaska is just about to bailout the richest companies in the world that do not need a bailouts. Will Alaska get more job's, I seriously doubt it. They will not even hire Alaskans to clean there last mess, what makes you think they will hire now.
If anyone needs a bailout or tax cut it is the people.
Someone in the legislature
Someone in the legislature with enough courage to tell the truth. Oil lobbyist/Governor Parnell is a fake. fraud. phoney. His commissioners don't tell the truth if they are smart enough know it. He is warm and fuzzy on the outside but he is a christian true believer at his core.
A better job for him would be co-pastor with Jerry Prevo in Anchorage, ranting about sin and abortion, not cutting deals with people you don't agree with for the good of the state as a Governor is supposed to do. I disagree with Palin on almost everything, but she at least resigned when people realized she wasn't suited for the job.
Oh My! That Dastardly Dooogan!
Great article! I can just see the Govenator, red in the face, shaking a finger at the Doogan, saying this 'implies that by meeting with representatives of the oil and gas industry, my administration has engaged in conduct that somehow compromises the integrity of the proposed legislation?!' No, govenator, not your administration, YOU did it. Don't blame your staff, after all, YOU were the oil lobbyist.
'Troubling' says the Doogan.
'“I take exception to these insinuations!' shouts the Govenator.
But wait, there's more! Now we hear the rumor that:
'the state’s big oil producers actually participated in writing the governor’s bill...'
Whoa! That is news! Do you mean to tell me that this government boss actually took somebody's stuff and took credit for it? Perish the thought!
In exchange for what? He wouldn't do that without a reason, would he? Somebody check and see if the govenator just got some property in Florida. Or perhaps the Bahamas. He isn't going to retire around here...
The republicans are calling it '“a swirl of innuendo and rumor...' which is about as close to the truth as you will ever hear from a republican.
You Betcha.
'that sends up red flags.' says the Democrat.
Uh - ya.
'
So now he is admitting.....
....that there WERE meetings with representatives in the Oil and Gas Industry?? Wasn't he claiming a week or so ago, that he didn't talk with them? That he "came up with this on his own?" Gov. Parnell, I'm sorry, but YES - we are questioning your integrity because you appear to be a LIAR. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck......
No Questions Asked
The governor seems to believe he can toss out information and no-one is to question his information. Meanwhile there is a lot of reports and testimony that indicates the governor is not the only source of information on the affects of changing the oil taxes. A great amount of the information indicates there will be little or no positive growth in jobs or production. Why is Parnell scared to have that information challenge his views? Perhaps it is becasue the information against his proposal is more accurate than his supporting information.
Disgraceful?
What gives?
The Alaska Dispatch article by Epler on the revenue commissioners confirmation refers to an interview with the past commissioner who left december '10, apparently stating that the bill was not in the works before he left!
I have decided that I would
I have decided that I would like to see a Michael Moore "Alaska Corruption" documentary.
I'll get him on the horn and make my pitch, you should too.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Where is the transparency, Governor?
The response to the Freedom of Information request said they "did not have a list of whom they’d met with". The Governor has spent the majority of his time pushing this bill and it carries one of the largest price tags we've seen but they dont have a list? The only proper response to this continued game-playing, stone-walling and lack of transparency is to initiate an investigation.
Parnell, we are questioning
Parnell, we are questioning your integrity. We should, every day. You knew that when you went into politics. Sure did not take long to see which side you were on.
Michael Moore
Yes, that would be an interesting documentary. How many parts in the series, do you think?? Definitely more to cover than could be squeezed into a 2-hour movie. LOL
LIAR without shame
I am not a crook!
He's a liar. Unabashedly in your face screw the truth and the facts LIAR. He's well on his way to making palin look better. Is that the plan?
Question his integrity. You betcha! A/hole.
Trent beats me to it. Parnell dances to his puppet strings ala Cheney style backroom deals.
It's PAINFULLY laughable that the only thing transparent about parnell is how badly he's screwing alaska the longer he's in office.
Recall. Recall. Recall. Kill his legislation and get rid of him as quickly as possible. Let's get those recall petitions signed and ready this summer for the first earliest date possible.