Ballot Measure One’s Tax Increase Threatens Alaska’s Future

Ballot Measure One’s Tax Increase Threatens Alaska’s Future

A tried and true rule is that if you want less of something then tax it. Alaska's citizenry is being asked next week if it wants drastically less oil and natural gas production in the state. Ballot Measure 1 would allow the state to impose a substantial tax on petroleum production, a sector that last year contributed more than $2 billion to state coffers, or more than a third of the state's general fund.  

A new study published by the American Action Forum (and co-authored by my friend and former colleague Gordon Gray) straightforwardly articulates the reasons why the ballot measure is a bad idea and would be detrimental to the state's economic future.

Alaska is the only state without a sales or income tax, which means that the state relies heavily