By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Kenny Skaflestad, one of two candidates for the District 2 House seat in next week’s election, told the Sentinel that, if elected, he will advocate for increased resource extraction, a stabilized Marine Highway System and a constitutional spending cap.
Early voting is underway in the election that will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8. Hours for advance absentee voting are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays at Centennial Hall through Nov. 7.
Skaflestad, of Hoonah, is running as a Republican against nonpartisan candidate Rebecca Himschoot of Sitka for the House seat representing their communities and others between Yakutat and Prince of Wales Island.
Kenny Skaflestad (Photo provided)
If elected, Skaflestad said his first priority would be “economic diversity in our region.”
“We’re going to find a way to access our resources,” Skaflestad said in an interview. “And if it takes for us to battle with the federal government to unhinder us, if it (requires) us to find some kind of a sliding scale in the tax process to keep private industry investors engaged, these need to be parts of the conversation,” he added. “And those investors should be in a constant conversation with lawmakers and decision makers and committee members who are helping to come up with tax decisions.”
Specifically, he’d like to see federal lands transferred to the state as a way of encouraging resource extraction.
“Getting after state entitled land that’s now controlled by the feds in every which way will open the door to my earlier discussion about available resources… Some of the hindrances to previously established ongoing industrialists and support businesses are going to be the fodder for robust troubleshooting and problem solving efforts by me,” he said.
If lands were transferred, Skaflestad would like to see industrial operations take place.
“It could arrive at that, but we certainly can’t consider mining or timber on grounds right now that are controlled by the federal government,” he said. “The state can contemplate it and talk about it, but it’s not very likely. Whereas if it were state land, that would be a state decision, we would have Alaskans contributing to that decision as opposed to the entire nation… A sustained yield timber market, especially in our timber industry reinstated in Southeast Alaska, would be a viable option.”
Skaflestad’s desire to see expanded resource extraction is a part of his economic vision for the state.
“Our natural resources are the answer – we must be producing something. We must be capitalizing on these resources to secure higher revenue,” he said. “It should be part of the conversation to discuss working diligently on removing the bounds and hindrances to accessing natural resources for development and add them to the production-based revenues of the state.”
While he was open to looking into altering tax structure in the state, Skaflestad was cautious on the idea.
“I’m not against reviewing the tax structure in reference to the resources we are developing now, but I don’t want to get too carried away with taxation against the industry so that we’re no longer a viable place to produce from the resources that are here,” he said.
He described any possible tax changes as “a business conversation.”
On the Dividend
Skaflestad suggested calculating the annual Permanent Fund Dividend based on the market value of the fund itself, echoing a suggestion from the Legislature’s 2021 Fiscal Policy Working Group.
“I applaud the group so far for considering the (percent of market value) as an approach. I really would like to see much more earnest effort going into added revenues… We have a cost of government that we are considering the minimum service level government and that itself is costing more than we have coming in. I’d really like to see a spending cap established, agreed to, founded for our state, where it’s directly correlated to our revenue forecast.”
The final report of the Fiscal Policy Working Group recommended adopting a PFD formula that drew no more than five percent of the fund’s market value.
On Ferries
As the Alaska Marine Highway continues to struggle, Skaflestad would like ferries to be treated more like a conventional highway. Service levels in recent years have declined, particularly in the winter.
“I would like to see an independent council that oversees decisions pertaining to scheduling and service levels,” he said. “And I would like to see that council consider the regional economic benefactors in more of a refined way than has been done in the past, as it pertains to our Marine Highway. I would like to establish the habit of referring to our Marine Highway as just that, the road into town, instead of as a luxury.”
A new oversight board for the ferry system convened for the first time in February, though its role is advisory.
He noted the challenges faced by the Marine Highway, including an aging fleet, high operational costs and annual budget cycles.
“The service level should be devised around the dire need of the communities that rely upon it,” he said. “And I realize that these are certainly the issues as they’re brought forward. But I’ve seen it become somewhat of a football every year… It becomes a bargaining chip in a lot of ways when it comes to the final funding cycle.”
On Schools
As school districts around the state are faced with challenging fiscal decisions, Skaflestad said he’d like to see schools focus more heavily on technical education. He said additional funding may not be the whole solution.
“I would like to see a school district say we are going after proficiency in reading at this degree, by this time and here’s how we’re going to do that. We’re after proficiency in math. We are offering an exposure to the sciences and to the professions and also the vocations in this way and prepare kids to be able to meet a standard that’s been established… My observation is that we’re spending a bunch of money and I don’t think that the only answer is more money,” the candidate said.
“I would really like to see us entertain a pay-per-performance type of approach per district,” he said. “In other words, offering up where we’re seeing what we want to spend money on is an education that readies our children to join trades, to join professions, to join the world and to continue to grow and learn in a robust society. And I think that we’ve toyed with some philosophies about how that society is going to be different… We’re spending a great deal of time concerned about our students’ perception of the social aspects of our system. And I think in some cases a little bit too far on things that are more aptly addressed in the home.”
On a Constitutional Convention
Ballot Proposition One in this year’s election asks: “Shall there be a constitutional convention?” Skaflestad supports the idea.
“I’ve got a brand new opinion on that and I’m supportive now of the constitutional convention, and not nearly as afraid of devastation of what is a reasonable, actually very well written and provided for, constitution,” he said.
Were a convention to occur, he’d like to see a spending cap instituted.
“I would love to see a spending cap in the constitution so that it kind of speaks of the mindset of the Alaskan public at large instead of the political impetus that might be dominated at the time.”
As for the right to abortion afforded by the constitutional right to privacy, Skaflestad said he views abortion as “immoral,” but said if the matter came to a vote in the House, he was uncertain on his decision.
“If it came to be where I was called to vote on that, I would be challenged. I would have to think about that and work on that,” he said “So just because I think it’s immoral – but my thinking is this: if we’re going to begin legislating the morals and the choices of the public, in law, let alone constitutionally, then we’re going to start having a whole moral discussion across the board on I think we’re getting in the weeds here.”
Skaflestad opposed any kind of public funding for abortions, except under circumstances such as “substantiated health concerns, risk of life, potentially psychological risks due to rape for incest. Those types of things might be an allowable place where the government might help out in the situation, but I’m not for public funding for elective abortions.”
On Fisheries
As a longtime troller and longliner, Skaflestad said he’s concerned about bycatch, but was unsure if that was the main driver of declines in some fish populations.
“I’m concerned about bycatch, overcatch on the species number. However, I’d really like to see the Legislature demand to determine that that, in fact, is a substantial contributor,” he said. “I would suppose that it is, but as yet, I wouldn’t consider it a substantiated theorem. I think there are other factors.”
Skaflestad, 62, said he’s “a trolling guy, I’ve fished most of my life, a longliner, and I grew up around people and other fisheries and daily conversations where I live and it’s been all my life… If there’s a lot fewer fish in the water, nobody’s going to go fishing. So we need to get our heads together and we need to dispense with the battling over it and understand we have a volatile renewable resource. That if we have a theory… let’s really substantiate it and ensure that we haven’t left a stone unturned.”
In Closing
Skaflestad is running for the House seat left vacant by Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democrat who has served in a bipartisan majority coalition in House that has a Republican majority.
“I’m not happy with what we’ve done with the bipartisan coalition,” Skaflestad said. “I think it defies the intent and the political will of the populace.”
Despite this, he said he’s willing to work with Democrats.
“I don’t come to disagree philosophically and not get things done because of it,” he said. “I think we very much need to work with people of all philosophies, all ideas and all political affiliations, And I’ll robustly pursue (cooperation) with the Democrats. I’m a Republican. I have Republican views. I’m conservative. I have conservative views. And they will resound in my findings and decision making, but I can’t picture being a legislator without working with Democrats.”
On Election Day, Nov. 8, polls will be open at Centennial Hall from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting is open now weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also at Centennial Hall.
