By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Speaking at a gubernatorial candidate forum Wednesday in Juneau, independent governor candidate Bill Walker and Democratic governor candidate Les Gara each said they would not raise alcohol taxes if elected.
Alaska candidate comparison tool allows voters to explore positions in statewide races. Their statements came at an event hosted by Alaska CHARR, the largest trade association serving the Alaska alcohol industry.
Walker proposed doubling the state’s alcohol taxes during his first term in office, part of a broader plan to reduce a deficit caused by falling oil prices.
As he attempts to return to office by defeating Republican incumbent Mike Dunleavy, the man who defeated Walker in 2018, the former governor voiced a different opinion when asked whether he would raise alcohol taxes.
“No. I’m not interested in raising your taxes,” Walker told the assembled alcohol industry representatives.
“You have enough challenges coming your way,” he said, referring to prior questions that addressed workforce issues and supply chain problems.
Gara, who spoke before Walker, said an alcohol tax is unnecessary under his fiscal plan.
“I don’t see raising that right now,” Gara said. “It’s a small amount of money for the state, and it’s a big burden on the industry.”
Gara said he would prefer to change the state’s oil tax system by reducing the per-barrel tax credit, a deduction baked into the state’s oil production tax.
“We don’t need to play games with alcohol taxes,” Gara said, explaining that he believes substance-abuse problems created by alcohol can be addressed with funding created by a change in oil taxes.
“I’m not going to pick these little things to change and hurt businesses when the major source of revenue that we need is sitting right before our eyes,” he said.
Dunleavy was absent from the debate and held a news conference about recent and upcoming storms in western Alaska at the same time. Fellow Republican candidate Charlie Pierce was also absent; both were invited to the event.
Pierce has not attended any forums or debates for governor candidates since the state’s Aug. 16 primary election.
Gara and Walker, who finished behind Dunleavy in the Aug. 16 primary and have trailed him in post-election polling, asked attendees to rank the other man second in the Nov. 8 ranked-choice general election.
“I’m ranking Gov. Walker second,” Gara said, “And in part, that’s because he’s cared enough to show up in all these debates.”
“I ask you to vote me first,” Walker said, “but if you vote for me first, put Les Gara second. He shows up and we’ve got to have somebody show up.”
“For me to win, I need all of his second votes, and for him to win, he needs all of my second votes. So, it’s a different way of looking at it,” Walker said.
Gara and Walker are scheduled to appear tonight at a forum in Homer. Dunleavy’s campaign has said the incumbent’s next appearance will be Oct. 11 in Anchorage.
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