Legislature(2019 - 2020)ADAMS ROOM 519

02/25/2019 01:30 PM House FINANCE

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01:32:24 PM Start
01:33:26 PM Presentation: Fall 2018 Revenue Forecast
03:18:10 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Fall 2018 Revenue Forecast by Commissioner TELECONFERENCED
Designee Bruce Tangeman, Dept. of Revenue
                  HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                     February 25, 2019                                                                                          
                         1:32 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:32:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster called the House Finance Committee meeting                                                                      
to order at 1:32 p.m.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair                                                                                            
Representative Tammie Wilson, Co-Chair                                                                                          
Representative Jennifer Johnston, Vice-Chair                                                                                    
Representative Dan Ortiz, Vice-Chair                                                                                            
Representative Ben Carpenter                                                                                                    
Representative Andy Josephson                                                                                                   
Representative Gary Knopp                                                                                                       
Representative Bart LeBon                                                                                                       
Representative Kelly Merrick                                                                                                    
Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard                                                                                         
Representative Cathy Tilton                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Bruce  Tangeman,  Commissioner,  Department of  Revenue;  Ed                                                                    
King, Chief Economist, Office of  Management and Budget; Dan                                                                    
Stickel,  Chief  Economist,  Economic  Research  Group,  Tax                                                                    
Division, Department  of Revenue; Colleen  Glover, Director,                                                                    
Tax Division, Department of Revenue.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION: FALL 2018 REVENUE FORECAST                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster reviewed the meeting agenda.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
^PRESENTATION: FALL 2018 REVENUE FORECAST                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:33:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRUCE   TANGEMAN,  COMMISSIONER,   DEPARTMENT  OF   REVENUE,                                                                    
provided information about  the department's Revenue Sources                                                                    
Book.  He  spoke of  his  stellar  staff that  produced  the                                                                    
publication. He introduced  a PowerPoint presentation titled                                                                    
"Fall 2018 Revenue Forecast," dated February 25, 2019.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman relayed  that the  new administration                                                                    
was  presenting   revenues  and  budgets   differently.  The                                                                    
administration was matching  revenues to expenditures rather                                                                    
than addressing the components  in two separate discussions.                                                                    
The  governor  asked  the  department  to  get  the  revenue                                                                    
numbers  together first,  then  he was  going  to match  his                                                                    
budget  to  the  revenues. Commissioner  Tangeman  would  be                                                                    
walking  through  the  report  stopping to  point  out  very                                                                    
pertinent pages  as he  went along. It  was a  document that                                                                    
had been generated for many years and was extremely useful.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman  explained  that  Chapter  3  of  the                                                                    
Revenue Sources  Book tackled a  different issue  each year.                                                                    
The current year's  Chapter 3 discussed 60  years of revenue                                                                    
history. He  recommended to members  to read Chapter  3 from                                                                    
reports  of previous  years, as  they were  very informative                                                                    
and interesting to read.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman  began with  slide 3 which  provided a                                                                    
one page  look at  the entire revenue  picture and  could be                                                                    
found  on  page 6  of  the  Revenue  Sources Book.  The  top                                                                    
section  was the  unrestricted general  fund (UGF)  revenue.                                                                    
The chart  showed FY 18 actuals  and the forecast for  FY 19                                                                    
and  FY  20.  The  largest change  under  UGF  revenues  was                                                                    
investment  earnings reflecting  a percent  of market  value                                                                    
(POMV)  draw   as  a   result  of   the  passage   of  SB 26                                                                    
[Legislation passed  in 2018 establishing  a POMV  draw]. He                                                                    
highlighted that  for FY 20  about $2.9 billion of  the $3.0                                                                    
billion was the earnings reserve account (ERA) draw.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman continued  to the  designated general                                                                    
fund  (DGF) section  broken down  into oil  revenue, non-oil                                                                    
revenue, and investment  earnings. Unrestricted general fund                                                                    
revenue in  the top section encompassed  production revenue,                                                                    
property  tax, corporate  income tax,  and royalties.  Other                                                                    
restricted  revenue was  included such  as excise  tax, fish                                                                    
tax, charitable gaming, marijuana tax, and motor fuel tax.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman  continued to  the next  section down,                                                                    
other  restricted  revenue.  It  was a  portion  of  royalty                                                                    
revenues,  a portion  of the  Public School  Trust fund  and                                                                    
others. He  indicated greater detail  could be found  in the                                                                    
Revenue Sources  Book. The bottom  section of the  chart was                                                                    
federal revenue including oil revenue and federal receipts.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:38:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz referred to slide  3 and queried the reason                                                                    
for  a  drop  in  oil  revenue between  FY  19  and  FY  20.                                                                    
Commissioner Tangeman  replied that  it primarily had  to do                                                                    
with  the price  of  oil.  The forecast  was  about $68  per                                                                    
barrel in FY 19 and $64  per barrel in FY 20. Currently, the                                                                    
price was averaging just under  $70 per barrel. The price of                                                                    
oil  was  currently   outpacing  the  department's  forecast                                                                    
slightly.  Since mid-January  the  price of  oil climbed  to                                                                    
more than  $60 per barrel. The  price of oil was  $68 on the                                                                    
previous Friday. He hoped the price would increase.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman turned to slide  4 that showed the top                                                                    
part  of  slide 3  in  greater  detail.  He pointed  to  the                                                                    
section  on  taxes  which  showed  petroleum  property  tax,                                                                    
petroleum   corporate  income   tax,  and   production  tax.                                                                    
Royalties  encompassed mineral  bonuses and  rents, oil  and                                                                    
gas royalties, and interest. Oil  and gas royalties on state                                                                    
lands  in Prudhoe  Bay made  up the  largest portion  of the                                                                    
royalties category.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Johnston  asked if the  amount of  property taxes                                                                    
was before the passage  of any new legislation. Commissioner                                                                    
Tangeman replied in the affirmative.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman turned to slide  6 related to the Fall                                                                    
2018 price  forecast. He asked  Ed King  to join him  at the                                                                    
table to walk through some informative slides.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ED KING,  CHIEF ECONOMIST, OFFICE OF  MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET,                                                                    
addressed  slide 6  regarding  the oil  price forecast.  The                                                                    
slide showed  where prices had  been over the  previous year                                                                    
and the direction  prices were headed over  the budget cycle                                                                    
and  beyond.   There  had  been  a   significant  amount  of                                                                    
volatility  in the  past year.  Over the  summer prices  had                                                                    
been over $70  per barrel. At one point the  price broke the                                                                    
$80 mark reaching $85 per barrel in October 2018.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King elaborated  that much of what was  occurring at the                                                                    
time was  geopolitical uncertainty,  mostly around  Iran. He                                                                    
relayed that  there was  a requirement  for about  a million                                                                    
barrels  of oil  being  produced  by Iran  to  come off  the                                                                    
market. The market  reacted to the requirement  by trying to                                                                    
encourage more oil  to come to the market  by increasing the                                                                    
price. The  price moved up  through the summer and  into the                                                                    
fall. The  effort was successful,  as new oil came  into the                                                                    
market. For instance, Saudi  Arabia increased its production                                                                    
and  mid-continent producers  of shale  oil increased  their                                                                    
production.  The market  got  blind-sided  with the  waivers                                                                    
issued  for Iranian  oil, allowing  the oil  to stay  on the                                                                    
market  after the  market had  just reacted  to the  need to                                                                    
bring  more oil  to it.  He  pointed out  that from  October                                                                    
through December  there was about  a 40 percent drop  in the                                                                    
price of  oil because  of there  being too  much oil  on the                                                                    
market at the time.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  King  continued  that in  December  Oil  Producing  and                                                                    
Exporting   Countries  (OPEC)   started  to   cut  back   on                                                                    
production, as  did Russia. The market  started to stabilize                                                                    
and presently  oil prices  closed at $65  per barrel  at the                                                                    
end of  the day. Oil prices  were back in the  range of what                                                                    
the  department thought  was  reasonable.  He suggested  the                                                                    
volatility of oil prices would  continue through 2019. There                                                                    
were   several   geopolitical    questions   that   remained                                                                    
unanswered including  whether Iranian waivers  got approved.                                                                    
There  were several  tensions and  sanctions occurring  with                                                                    
the regime  change in Venezuela.  There were  many questions                                                                    
about what would  happen next. He would not  be surprised if                                                                    
oil prices shot  up again. However, it would  not be prudent                                                                    
for the state to count on such an event to happen.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz asked  about the red marks on  the graph on                                                                    
slide  6.  Mr. King  answered  the  red arrows  pointed  out                                                                    
specific  points  in  time.  He noted  that  the  blue  line                                                                    
represented  the   Brent  oil  price  and   the  white  line                                                                    
represented the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  King   continued  to  slide  7:   "World  Liquid  Fuels                                                                    
Production  and  Consumption  Balance," which  depicted  the                                                                    
supply and demand  balance [from 2013 to 2019  by the Energy                                                                    
Information Agency (EIA)]. He explained  that the EIA was an                                                                    
agency  of the  federal government  which tracked  oil price                                                                    
movement  and   supply  and  demand  balances.   The  entity                                                                    
published the chart every month  in its short-term forecast.                                                                    
The chart was  a December publication. He  presently had the                                                                    
one from January. It showed  that the balance had collapsed.                                                                    
He explained that the yellow  line represented the timeframe                                                                    
in  December   showing  that  the  world's   production  was                                                                    
outpacing consumption. It indicated  there would be downward                                                                    
pressure on price, as there was too much oil on the market.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King continued that the  green bars represented the fact                                                                    
that  there was  very little  room for  oil prices  to rise.                                                                    
Since then, OPEC cut back  on its production which moved the                                                                    
two lines  together. He suggested  that there  was currently                                                                    
balance.  He conveyed  that  in looking  at  the January  19                                                                    
version  of the  table the  green bars  collapsed to  nearly                                                                    
zero.  The   expectation  was  that  there   would  be  some                                                                    
stability in prices.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:45:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King turned to slide  8: "PRICE FORECAST: Differences in                                                                    
Analyst Forecasts," which  demonstrated what analysts looked                                                                    
at when considering what oil  prices might do in the future.                                                                    
It was very important for  analysts to take into account the                                                                    
supply and demand balance, especially  when looking beyond a                                                                    
month or  two. He suggested that  even if there was  a price                                                                    
disruption that  drove prices up  or down in  the near-term,                                                                    
it  was important  to consider  the larger  picture for  the                                                                    
price   forecast  looking   forward.  Everyone   was  paying                                                                    
attention to  the demand from  Asia and how  economic growth                                                                    
in Asian countries with large  population centers was doing.                                                                    
He elaborated that if they  had more disposable income, they                                                                    
would  use   more  oil   products  including   plastics  and                                                                    
transportation  fuels.  It  would increase  the  demand  for                                                                    
petroleum. China,  India, and Africa  were being  watched as                                                                    
the large population centers continued to develop.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  discussed supply.  He noted that  the cost  to get                                                                    
oil out  of the ground  and to  market, and the  location of                                                                    
the supply were always  considerations. Currently there were                                                                    
enough  discoveries of  resources to  meet decades-worth  of                                                                    
anticipated  consumption.  He  elaborated  that  having  the                                                                    
resource was not the concern so  much as the cost to extract                                                                    
it and  get it to market  at a price that  competed with the                                                                    
next best  alternative. People were thinking  about what the                                                                    
next best  alternative might be such  as battery technology.                                                                    
He noted the cost of  actual development was also important.                                                                    
He suggested  that as  producers were  finding ways  to push                                                                    
down on the  cost of production, it limited  the ability for                                                                    
prices  to get  too  high. The  advancement of  technologies                                                                    
such as  horizontal drilling and  fracking was  pushing down                                                                    
on the  cost of  production, therefore, the  opportunity for                                                                    
prices to rise was very limited.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  moved to slide  9: "Brent Forecasts  Comparison as                                                                    
of  12/4/2018: Real  Oil Prices  and  Forecasts." The  slide                                                                    
showed a graph comparing the  price forecast done in October                                                                    
2019 and  released to the public  on December 4, 2019  - the                                                                    
morning of the  new administration taking over.  At the time                                                                    
of the  forecasting session  in October  oil prices  were up                                                                    
near  $85 per  barrel. The  participants of  the forecasting                                                                    
session  were  optimistic.  However, comparing  the  October                                                                    
forecast to the  actual prices in December  made it apparent                                                                    
that  the administration  needed to  make an  adjustment. He                                                                    
pointed to the  dotted line which showed  the price forecast                                                                    
session results.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King moved  to slide 10: "Brent  Forecasts Comparison as                                                                    
of  1/3/2019:  Real  Oil Prices  and  Forecasts"  where  the                                                                    
dotted  line  showed  what  was  published  in  the  Revenue                                                                    
Sources   Book.   He   reported  that   the   forecast   was                                                                    
significantly  lower  to  reflect the  new  information  the                                                                    
state received.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman elaborated on  the reason the forecast                                                                    
number had been changed by  the Department of Revenue (DOR).                                                                    
He  noted the  price  volatility in  the  fourth quarter  of                                                                    
2018. The department decided it  was important to use a more                                                                    
reasonable price  based on the volatility  that had occurred                                                                    
and the  price correction. It  was important to have  a more                                                                    
reasonable forecast  for the new  administration to  be able                                                                    
to build its budget and  for the legislative budget process.                                                                    
Choosing the  price forecast  required a  significant amount                                                                    
of work.  The department  went back  to the  spring forecast                                                                    
and  made changes  from there.  The forecast  lined up  with                                                                    
prices  in the  $64 per  barrel range  up to  about $74  per                                                                    
barrel over the  following 10 years. He wanted  to share the                                                                    
department's  process on  why the  current  forecast was  in                                                                    
front of legislators and where it came from.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:51:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  displayed slide  11: "EIA  Cases from  2018 Annual                                                                    
Energy  Outlook,"   which  showed  the   Energy  Information                                                                    
Administration's    (EIA)     long-term    price    outlook.                                                                    
Essentially,  the  chart  conveyed the  uncertainty  of  the                                                                    
future. The Energy Information  Administration looked at the                                                                    
futures  market  and  the options  price  for  oil  (futures                                                                    
contracts)  trying  to  price  the  range  of  contracts  to                                                                    
generate  the high  and  low cases.  The  chart showed  what                                                                    
range of possible  future prices in the  market place people                                                                    
were  willing  to  bet  money  on. In  looking  out  to  the                                                                    
following  year people  had purchased  options at  more than                                                                    
$100 per barrel  and other people were buying  below the $30                                                                    
mark.  The  market  did  not know  for  certain  what  would                                                                    
happen. He suggested  that the department could  not build a                                                                    
budget based  on such a  large range. The department  had to                                                                    
choose a number based on the EIA's reference case.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King elaborated that the  EIA reference case represented                                                                    
a central tendency of expected  prices. He drew attention to                                                                    
the dotted black line which  represented DOR's forecast. The                                                                    
department's  forecast was  slightly  lower  than the  EIA's                                                                    
forecast.  He noted  that the  EIA's long-term  forecast was                                                                    
from 2018 but  was not published until January  2019. It was                                                                    
about a year old. There was  a new EIA outlook available and                                                                    
the department was happy to provide it to legislators.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  King  indicated  that  the  next  few  slides  provided                                                                    
further  details   of  how  the   market  had   adjusted  to                                                                    
volatility  through  the  previous  summer  and  fall.  Some                                                                    
people looked at  activity and saw reasons to  be bearish or                                                                    
bullish.  The  department needed  to  be  prepared that  oil                                                                    
prices could  be much  higher or  lower than  the department                                                                    
was  forecasting. The  department  would use  a number  that                                                                    
provided at least some confidence  in meeting or beating the                                                                    
forecast.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:54:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilson  spoke about  needing  to  live within  the                                                                    
state's means. She  asked what would happen  if the forecast                                                                    
was too  high. She  wondered where the  administration would                                                                    
find  the money  needed to  fund the  budget at  its current                                                                    
level.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman answered  that it was a  risk that was                                                                    
always   present.  The   department   felt   it  was   being                                                                    
conservative.  The Constitutional  Budget Reserve  (CBR) was                                                                    
the shock absorber  that was in place.  The department would                                                                    
not  know whether  it would  be  short until  well into  the                                                                    
fiscal year.  He was aware  the governor was  not interested                                                                    
in overdrawing the ERA. He  reiterated that the CBR would be                                                                    
the natural shock absorber if the forecast was off.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilson suggested  that the  forecast was  not only                                                                    
based on price but, also, on  the number of barrels per day.                                                                    
She queried about projects coming  online in the next fiscal                                                                    
year.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman replied  that  Department of  Natural                                                                    
Resources would  address the issue  in greater  detail later                                                                    
in the week.  He mentioned that there  were several projects                                                                    
that were  included in  the department's  forecast including                                                                    
assessing the risk of projects  the further out they were to                                                                    
production. There  were several things assimilated  into the                                                                    
production forecast. Although  the department was optimistic                                                                    
about projects  coming online as  planned, it  assigned risk                                                                    
based  on the  potential  price of  oil  and other  factors.                                                                    
Ultimately, the department took a conservative approach.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilson wondered  how many times the  price had been                                                                    
higher than projected in the previous 10 years.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman  replied   that  the  department  had                                                                    
produced graphs with the information.  He offered to provide                                                                    
the detail.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz referred  to slide  12: "  Market Activity                                                                    
Around RSB  Publication" and asked how  accurate the average                                                                    
Brent Crude forecast had been historically.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:58:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  replied that  several of  the forecasters  were in                                                                    
investment banks or trading in  the oil markets. There was a                                                                    
tendency for  people that made  money buying  contracts that                                                                    
increased in  value to be  overly optimistic.  Whereas, with                                                                    
the  New   York  Mercantile  Exchange  (NYMEX)   in  futures                                                                    
trading,  the numbers  tended to  come in  low. He  directed                                                                    
attention  back   to  slide  10  which   showed  analysists'                                                                    
forecasts  that tended  to  be more  bullish.  The New  York                                                                    
Mercantile  Exchange future  prices tended  to reflect  some                                                                    
sort  of  risk and  the  numbers  tended  to be  lower.  The                                                                    
department's forecast tried to land between the two bounds.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz  thought  Mr.  King was  saying  that  the                                                                    
average Brent  Forecast had historically been  above reality                                                                    
consistently year-after-year.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King answered they tended  to be high or more optimistic                                                                    
about the future than other  people because they were in the                                                                    
market and  made money selling related  products. He thought                                                                    
if a person were to go  back and look at the forecasts, they                                                                    
tended to be higher than other  people. He could not be more                                                                    
specific because from  2006 to 2012 oil  prices were ramping                                                                    
up.  He   suggested  that  when  the   department  or  other                                                                    
forecasters were  trying to  make a  forecast of  what would                                                                    
happen  next, the  information they  had was  rooted in  the                                                                    
current price  environment. In  an environment  where prices                                                                    
were  rising,  most  people forecasted  low  because  actual                                                                    
prices  ended  up  being  high.  The  analysts  in  such  an                                                                    
environment  ended up  being more  accurate.  However, in  a                                                                    
price environment  where prices were declining  the opposite                                                                    
would be  true. In  looking at just  the previous  10 years,                                                                    
the forecast might  be more accurate. That might  not be the                                                                    
case over a longer period of time.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz  referenced Mr.  King's testimony  that the                                                                    
department's projections on the  decline of oil revenue from                                                                    
2019 to 2020 reflected a drop  in price to $64 rather than a                                                                    
price of $68 per barrel. He asked if he was correct.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman answered  that the  forecast was  $68                                                                    
for FY 19 and $64 for FY 20.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz  asked,  in   relationship  to  the  Brent                                                                    
forecast,  whether   the  department's  projection   of  $64                                                                    
compared to  Brent's of $70  came from  the desire to  be as                                                                    
conservative as possible.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  King did  not  think the  department was  intentionally                                                                    
trying  to  be low.  Rather,  it  was  trying to  take  into                                                                    
account  all of  the available  information. The  department                                                                    
looked  at the  NYMEX curves  and  what EIA  was doing.  The                                                                    
Energy Information Association's forecast  was also $64. The                                                                    
department would  not make money  from selling  the product.                                                                    
The state  did not  have the  same motivation  that analysts                                                                    
might.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:02:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz  was  not  questioning   the  need  to  be                                                                    
conservative.  He  asked  about  the  difference  in  annual                                                                    
revenue between  an oil  price of $70  per barrel  versus an                                                                    
oil price of $64 per barrel.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King answered it would  be somewhere in the $500 million                                                                    
range.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz asked  for verification  that the  $70 oil                                                                    
price  projection  was fairly  accurate  over  the prior  10                                                                    
years.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King answered that the  department's goal was to provide                                                                    
a  number the  state could  budget to.  If the  actual price                                                                    
ended  up being  in the  $70 range,  it would  be great.  It                                                                    
actually happened  in FY 19  where the state  budgeted based                                                                    
on an  oil price of $64  per barrel. It appeared  oil prices                                                                    
would end  up closer  to $68 by  the end of  the year.  As a                                                                    
result, part of  the anticipated CBR draw would  not have to                                                                    
be made.  The higher the price  of oil was pushed,  the more                                                                    
likely the  price would end  up below  it. It was  better to                                                                    
beat the  oil price  forecast. It  was not  the department's                                                                    
intention to beat  the price, rather, it's goal  was to come                                                                    
as  close as  possible to  the  actual price  with the  best                                                                    
information possible.  Based on  all of the  information the                                                                    
department had,  it thought  it was prudent  to budget  to a                                                                    
price of $64 per barrel.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:05:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson noted  the presenters  had touched                                                                    
briefly on production. He believed  there were about four or                                                                    
five reasons  why, even with  an uptick in  production, West                                                                    
of the  Natural Petroleum  Reserve-Alaska was not  likely to                                                                    
be the  lifeline the state had  hoped it would be.  He noted                                                                    
that new oil enjoyed a 10  percent reduction in value for 10                                                                    
years through  gross value  reduction. The  production areas                                                                    
were  not  on  state  land. Therefore,  the  state  did  not                                                                    
receive a  royalty share. A  portion of a royalty  share was                                                                    
transferred  to  municipalities.  He noted  the  expense  of                                                                    
reaching the  areas and that  the carry forwards  would have                                                                    
to  be  gone  through  to reach  the  profitable  years.  He                                                                    
thought there would be profitable  tax years, but they would                                                                    
not be  helpful in  the short-term. The  producers specified                                                                    
that  the  returns  would  materialize  in  the  future.  He                                                                    
referenced  the   drop  in   legacy  field   production  and                                                                    
speculated  that  new production  would  cover  the loss  of                                                                    
legacy  fields. Although  new production  was great  for the                                                                    
economy and jobs, it was not  a panacea for the treasury. He                                                                    
asked if he was accurate.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner    Tangeman   answered    that   Representative                                                                    
Josephson's  statements were  all  accurate. The  department                                                                    
presentation  would look  at  several  slides pertaining  to                                                                    
costs. The tax  system was a net system. He  agreed with the                                                                    
statement  about the  cost  to develop  oil.  The state  had                                                                    
experienced a  good run in  Prudhoe Bay. It was  an elephant                                                                    
field that  was in a  good location.  As the search  for oil                                                                    
went  further East  and West  from Prudhoe  Bay it  was much                                                                    
more  expensive to  develop.  He  mentioned two  discoveries                                                                    
that were each estimated to  produce 100 thousand barrels of                                                                    
oil.  Things  were  optimistic. However,  the  state  needed                                                                    
companies that knew  how to develop oil and  who could bring                                                                    
their capital  to the state  for development. He  thought as                                                                    
the department stepped through  the actual calculation under                                                                    
the state's  net tax system,  it would show that  the fields                                                                    
were  very expensive  to invest  in and  develop. Until  the                                                                    
fields  are developed  it was  just  oil in  the ground.  He                                                                    
stated the information  was good news, but it  was only news                                                                    
until oil made it into the pipeline.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner    Tangeman   thought    the   representative's                                                                    
assessment  of   the  declining   legacy  fields   was  very                                                                    
accurate.  He expounded  that the  department anticipated  a                                                                    
decline of production of 5  percent total over the following                                                                    
10  years.  Recently, the  department  had  seen  a 6  to  7                                                                    
percent  decline annually.  It  was the  natural decline  of                                                                    
Prudhoe Bay  without new  oil to fill  the tranche  that the                                                                    
state  was losing.  He thought  the state  was now  seeing a                                                                    
combination in its forecast of  a decline in Prudhoe Bay and                                                                    
an  increase  new  production   from  fields  coming  online                                                                    
holding the  state even. He  noted the challenge  of staying                                                                    
even  with  production. He  mentioned  the  cost of  several                                                                    
billion per year to bring new oil online.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:09:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Josephson  asked how  long it had  been since                                                                    
the Alaska North Slope (ANS)  price was more closely aligned                                                                    
with the Brent price than with the WTI price.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King answered that the  ANS oil price had always tracked                                                                    
Brent. He furthered  that prior to 2006 when the  oil in the                                                                    
mid-continent started to take  off, distressing the price of                                                                    
oil, the differential inverted between  WTI and Brent. Prior                                                                    
to 2006, WTI  and Brent traded very closely. There  was a $1                                                                    
to  $2  differential  to  account   for  the  difference  in                                                                    
transportation  costs. Alaska  North Slope  oil was  between                                                                    
them. They  were currently inverted because  of distress. He                                                                    
continued  that ANS  traded about  equal  to Brent  overall.                                                                    
However,  more   often  ANS  was   under  by   about  $0.50.                                                                    
Currently, ANS was over that amount.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman would  be having  Dan Stickel  to the                                                                    
testifier table to discuss the  cost forecast. He noted that                                                                    
the  Senate Finance  Committee had  asked the  department to                                                                    
include the  information in the  presentation. It was  a 101                                                                    
overview.  The state  had a  very complex  tax structure  in                                                                    
place.  He continued  that with  being a  net tax  structure                                                                    
there were deductible  items as well. He opined  that it was                                                                    
important  to  understand   how  the  forecast  expenditures                                                                    
(operating, capital, and  transportation expenditures) would                                                                    
affect the revenue stream.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:12:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAN STICKEL,  CHIEF ECONOMIST, ECONOMIC RESEARCH  GROUP, TAX                                                                    
DIVISION, DEPARTMENT  OF REVENUE,  spoke to slide  14 titled                                                                    
"Lease  Expenditures  -  Overview." He  relayed  that  lease                                                                    
expenditures were  important for  two reasons. They  were an                                                                    
integral part of  the tax calculation. The state  had a net-                                                                    
based  production  tax.  Lease  expenditures  were  also  an                                                                    
indication of  company investment  in the  state. Investment                                                                    
lead to future production  and economic activity. He relayed                                                                    
there  were  a  few  notes  on the  slide  about  how  lease                                                                    
expenditures  related to  the  production  tax. He  reported                                                                    
that all  upstream costs  and transportation  costs incurred                                                                    
by a  producer were deducted  in determining the  net profit                                                                    
or production tax value, for  the tax. He continued that any                                                                    
losses  could  be  carried forward  into  future  years  and                                                                    
applied against  a future year's  tax liability.  One unique                                                                    
aspect  of  Alaska's production  tax  was  that all  capital                                                                    
costs  were  immediately  deductible.   The  state  did  not                                                                    
require a  company to depreciate  capital costs,  they could                                                                    
take an  immediate deduction. In calculating  the production                                                                    
tax a  company would compare their  net tax, which was  a 35                                                                    
percent net  tax rate, minus  allowable credits.  They would                                                                    
compare  it  to  a  gross  minimum  tax  of  4  percent.  He                                                                    
continued  to  explain  that the  lease  expenditures  would                                                                    
impact their tax  liability when the company  was paying the                                                                    
net tax.  In general, for  the state's major  operators, the                                                                    
cross over point was in the  $60 to $65 per barrel range. At                                                                    
current  levels and  above most  of the  companies would  be                                                                    
paying  on   the  net  tax.  Therefore,   changes  in  lease                                                                    
expenditures would  directly impact their tax  liability. He                                                                    
suggested   that   at   lower  prices   changes   in   lease                                                                    
expenditures were  still important, but they  would not have                                                                    
an immediate and direct impact on tax liability.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Stickel advanced  to slide  15  titled "Cost  Forecast:                                                                    
North Slope  Capital Lease Expenditures." He  indicated that                                                                    
slide 15 and  slide 16 showed the state's  fall forecast for                                                                    
North Slope lease expenditures compared  to the prior spring                                                                    
forecast.  He indicated  that to  prepare  the state's  cost                                                                    
forecast  the department  had  submissions  provided by  the                                                                    
operators of  the producing units.  They submitted  a 5-year                                                                    
projection of their lease  expenditures. The department also                                                                    
had  discussions with  the operators  and looked  at various                                                                    
public  information   about  activity  in  the   field.  The                                                                    
Department of Revenue also consulted  with the Department of                                                                    
Natural Resources  (DNR) to make sure  the lease expenditure                                                                    
forecast was in line with  the production forecast that they                                                                    
issued.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stickel continued  to discuss Slide 15  which showed the                                                                    
state's capital  expenditures forecast for the  North Slope.                                                                    
He reported that  in FY 18 North  Slope capital expenditures                                                                    
were  approximately $1.7  billion. The  state was  expecting                                                                    
the  amount to  increase over  the next  several years.  The                                                                    
state  was seeing  an  increase in  spending  at the  legacy                                                                    
fields, as  the existing producers were  ramping up spending                                                                    
slightly in response to higher  prices. He highlighted FY 19                                                                    
and FY  20. The other major  increases in FY 20,  FY 21, and                                                                    
FY  22  were the  addition  of  several  new fields  to  the                                                                    
revenue forecast  including the  Willow, Pikka,  and Greater                                                                    
Moose's Tooth units.  He reported that, beginning  in FY 19,                                                                    
the  state  was looking  at  approximately  $1.5 billion  of                                                                    
annual   capital  expenditures   for   the  legacy   fields.                                                                    
Everything   beyond  that   amount  was   spending  on   new                                                                    
developments. In  comparing the spring forecast  to the fall                                                                    
forecast the only  change was shifting out the  time for new                                                                    
developments. He continued that in  the out years in the mid                                                                    
'20s and  beyond the department  added more spending  on new                                                                    
developments  which   was  in   line  with   the  production                                                                    
forecast.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:16:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stickel  moved to  slide 16, which  was a  similar slide                                                                    
looking at the operating cost  forecast. He reported that in                                                                    
FY  18 the  North  Slope operating  expenditures were  about                                                                    
$2.6 billion.  The department was expecting  spending at the                                                                    
existing fields  to be  fairly flat  over the  forecast time                                                                    
horizon.  The producers  had done  a  significant amount  of                                                                    
work to  bring down  costs and  to make  the fields  work at                                                                    
current prices.  The department felt that  most efficiencies                                                                    
had been  realized to-date. There  was a slight  increase in                                                                    
the operating cost forecast in the  out years as some of the                                                                    
new developments  came on. He  highlighted the  reduction in                                                                    
FY 23 in  the forecast compared to what  the spring forecast                                                                    
indicated.  It  represented  a   new  understanding  of  the                                                                    
anticipated  cost of  the  new  developments. The  companies                                                                    
were working  diligently to operate the  new developments in                                                                    
a  more efficient  manner to  keep the  ongoing costs  lower                                                                    
than they had been historically.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stickel  turned to slide  17 which looked at  per barrel                                                                    
transportation costs for moving oil  from the North Slope to                                                                    
market.  It  included   the  Trans-Alaska  Pipeline,  feeder                                                                    
pipelines,  and  marine  transportation costs.  He  reported                                                                    
that for  FY 18 the  average transportation cost  per barrel                                                                    
was $9.52.  The department was forecasting  $8.53 per barrel                                                                    
for FY  19 -  about $1  per barrel  lower in  FY 19  than in                                                                    
FY 18.  The  change had  to  do  with  the settlement  of  a                                                                    
methodology  for   calculating  the   Trans-Alaska  Pipeline                                                                    
tariff  between the  Federal  Energy Regulatory  Commission,                                                                    
the  producers, and  the  state. The  change  resulted in  a                                                                    
lower  Trans-Alaska Pipeline  System  (TAPS)  tariff in  the                                                                    
forecast beginning in  FY 19. Beyond that  time, the overall                                                                    
transportation costs were growing roughly with inflation.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilson  asked about the forecast  time periods. She                                                                    
asked when the spring forecast would come out.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stickel replied that the  department issued two official                                                                    
forecasts  every year  - once  in the  fall in  December and                                                                    
once  in March  or early  April. They  both included  a full                                                                    
forecast  for the  following  10 years  of  revenue and  the                                                                    
different  variables  having to  do  with  revenue. For  the                                                                    
current year  the target release  was in mid-March,  but the                                                                    
final date had  not yet been determined.  He elaborated that                                                                    
in  terms  of the  work  that  went  into the  forecast  and                                                                    
modeling,  the major  forecast was  the  fall forecast.  The                                                                    
department spent  the summer working on  models and produced                                                                    
the Revenue Sources Book each  year. The spring forecast was                                                                    
a new  forecast but was  largely an  update in terms  of how                                                                    
the modeling and background work went.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilson asked  which amounts should be  used for the                                                                    
budget.  Mr.  Stickel  answered that  typically  the  spring                                                                    
forecast was the  revenue number that tied  into the budget.                                                                    
Co-Chair Wilson would hope for a good one.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:20:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz pointed  to slide 14 that  included a lease                                                                    
expenditure overview.  He asked what the  effective tax rate                                                                    
was that oil  companies paid. Mr. Stickel  answered that the                                                                    
information  would  be  forthcoming.  Commissioner  Tangeman                                                                    
added that  he had  signed the  memorandum that  morning and                                                                    
the response would be given to the committee soon.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz asked  for verification  there would  be a                                                                    
definitive   tax   rate  provided.   Commissioner   Tangeman                                                                    
answered  there was  no  definitive  rate because  producers                                                                    
paid different  amounts but incite  would be provided  as to                                                                    
how the rate was calculated.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz  asked if a  definitive tax range  would be                                                                    
provided  in  order  to  assist him  in  responding  to  his                                                                    
constituents' queries.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Stickel answered  that the  department  had compiled  a                                                                    
chart  which showed  the  effective tax  rate  for a  legacy                                                                    
field  based on  production tax  value.  It was  a range  of                                                                    
prices  and   would  help   the  representative   to  answer                                                                    
questions from the representative's constituents.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson suggested  that in  the oil  price                                                                    
range of $60 to $80 per  barrel the per barrel credit was at                                                                    
its  most  generous point  of  $8.  He  wondered if  he  was                                                                    
correct in saying  that the credit was at  the most generous                                                                    
point on the scale. Mr.  Stickel answered that the statement                                                                    
was fairly accurate.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Josephson  understood that when  the industry                                                                    
was not  making as much  as it would otherwise,  the purpose                                                                    
of the credit was  to incentivize production. However, there                                                                    
was a  question regarding  fields in production  and whether                                                                    
they  would be  producing  otherwise.  Essentially, the  per                                                                    
barrel  credit  brought  down the  effective  rate  from  35                                                                    
percent to  some other figure.  He asked if he  was correct.                                                                    
Mr. Stickel answered in the affirmative.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster believed the memorandum  would be passed out                                                                    
to members shortly.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:25:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman  indicated  that  next  section  that                                                                    
would be discussed was the  credits forecast and would begin                                                                    
with the  outstanding tax credit liability,  otherwise known                                                                    
as   the  cashable   credits.  He   turned   to  slide   19:                                                                    
"Outstanding Tax  Credits." He clarified he  was speaking of                                                                    
tax credits  not applicable  to the  big three  legacy field                                                                    
producers. The  credits he would be  discussing were credits                                                                    
offered  to  bring new  entrance  to  the North  Slope.  The                                                                    
debate had  been about bringing  more competition  to Alaska                                                                    
to invest in oil production.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman continued that  in going back to other                                                                    
oil tax systems there  had been several different incentives                                                                    
and  tax  credits  available  for  folks  to  invest.  Those                                                                    
incentives were brought  to an end in the  previous 2 years.                                                                    
Currently,  instead of  an increasing  liability, the  state                                                                    
was showing  the tail  end of  the plan to  pay off  the tax                                                                    
credits. He  reemphasized that the information  was based on                                                                    
current statute.  The department had a  supplemental request                                                                    
to add more  money to the FY 19 budget  payoff. He suggested                                                                    
that the  payment for FY  20 looked fairly accurate  and was                                                                    
approximately $175  million. The  chart reflected  the state                                                                    
being able to pay  off its tax liability by FY  24 if it was                                                                    
only appropriating  $175 million  for the  following several                                                                    
years.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COLLEEN  GLOVER,  DIRECTOR,   TAX  DIVISION,  DEPARTMENT  OF                                                                    
REVENUE, introduced herself.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson  understood  that when  money  was                                                                    
flowing into the state treasury  the idea was to create some                                                                    
parody  between producers  and non-producers  with the  cash                                                                    
credit  program. The  concern with  suspending the  cash tax                                                                    
credits was  that parody was eliminated.  He suggested there                                                                    
was some  evidence that the small  producers were continuing                                                                    
to participate  not withstanding they would  not receive the                                                                    
benefit.  He  asked if  the  department  could confirm  that                                                                    
there were investors that wanted  to come to Alaska. He also                                                                    
wondered if  the department expected  the 3  major producers                                                                    
to  fill the  void in  some way  and to  start investing  in                                                                    
fields they might not have  otherwise invested in because of                                                                    
the absence  of other  producers. He asked  the commissioner                                                                    
to comment.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman  answered  that  the  producers  were                                                                    
investing. The state was forecasting  an increase in capital                                                                    
expenditures  in  fields  other  than  in  Prudhoe  Bay.  He                                                                    
mentioned Hilcorp  investing in the state.  He was uncertain                                                                    
if the company's decision was  based on cashable credits. He                                                                    
thought it might  have been an incentive.  Companies such as                                                                    
Repsol also invested. He did not  believe a tax credit was a                                                                    
stand-alone incentive  drawing them  to the  state. However,                                                                    
it was  part of a suite  that made Alaska competitive  and a                                                                    
more interesting place to invest.  He commented that Hilcorp                                                                    
was becoming  the fourth major producer.  There would likely                                                                    
be other producers  anchored in Alaska for  the long-term as                                                                    
other  units, such  as  Pikka and  Willow,  came online.  He                                                                    
reiterated that  the cash  credits were  gauged more  at the                                                                    
smaller  investment companies.  He agreed  that when  prices                                                                    
were  higher, the  state was  paying the  credits at  a more                                                                    
aggressive rate.  Payments were being  made at a  lower rate                                                                    
due to  oil prices.  He would discuss  the bonding  issue in                                                                    
the following couple of slides.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:30:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman  advanced to slide 20,  "Update on Tax                                                                    
Credit  Bonding   (HB  331)."   He  reported  that   HB  331                                                                    
[Legislation  passed in  2018  establishing  the Alaska  Tax                                                                    
Credit  Certificate  Bond  Corporation] was  passed  in  the                                                                    
previous year.  He explained that  with oil taxes  being low                                                                    
the state was unable to  pay off tax credits as aggressively                                                                    
as in  the past. The  prior administration came up  with the                                                                    
concept of bonding  for the tax credit liability  to pay off                                                                    
the  debt service  over the  following  8 to  10 years.  The                                                                    
issue  was currently  caught  up in  the  legal system.  The                                                                    
state received a favorable ruling  in the Superior Court but                                                                    
anticipated it would go to  the Supreme Court. Resolution on                                                                    
the issue  would likely  be delayed  for another  12 months.                                                                    
The  previous  administration  was anticipating  and  hoping                                                                    
that the state would be able  to bond in the summer and fall                                                                    
to  take care  of the  liability. However,  it did  not work                                                                    
that way. There was about  $100 million appropriated for the                                                                    
FY 19  budget as a  backstop amount  in case the  bond issue                                                                    
did not come  to fruition. When the  new administration took                                                                    
over, it decided to make the $100 million payment.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Sullivan-Leonard asked for  an example of how                                                                    
the tax  credits had helped  smaller companies to  invest in                                                                    
Alaska and how the state's  failure to pay the credits might                                                                    
have presented challenges for the companies.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman  responded  that  the  first  of  the                                                                    
issues  occurred when  the state  was  having rolling  brown                                                                    
outs in Anchorage  due to the Cook Inlet  issue. He believed                                                                    
it was the  impetus for the tax credit  program which turned                                                                    
out to be successful. He did  not think there was a resource                                                                    
issue but  rather an issue  with gas production in  the Cook                                                                    
Inlet. He also mentioned  the challenge of getting companies                                                                    
to the  inlet to explore  for more  gas to widen  the reach.                                                                    
The tax credit  program proved to be very  successful in the                                                                    
Cook Inlet.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman continued  that when  the tax  credit                                                                    
system extended  to the  North Slope,  the state  found that                                                                    
not every company's balance sheet  allowed for investment in                                                                    
Alaska to  the extent  needed. Alaska  was a  very expensive                                                                    
place to  invest. He noted  that when prices spiked  in 2012                                                                    
and  2013 the  state discovered  the need  to compete  - for                                                                    
several  decades it  had been  the biggest  play, but  other                                                                    
options  had  presented  themselves in  the  U.S.  including                                                                    
shale plays in North Dakota.  He suggested that at a certain                                                                    
oil price  there were several  options that  became fiscally                                                                    
feasible. For  instance, in North  Dakota in 2001  and 2012,                                                                    
the shale plays  were new, and fracking had  been around for                                                                    
a while. Companies  knew what the peak  production had been,                                                                    
and it happened  right away. They were not  certain what the                                                                    
tails  looked  like  on  the  individual  wells.  They  also                                                                    
thought the breakeven  point might be around $60  to $70 but                                                                    
were now seeing it could be around $35 per barrel.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman  spoke to the need  to be competitive.                                                                    
When prices had  gone down there had  been limited resources                                                                    
and the state  had to decide how it was  going to deploy its                                                                    
assets. Unfortunately,  some companies had gotten  caught up                                                                    
in  the issue  and probably  went bankrupt  while some  were                                                                    
hanging on waiting  for the tax credits.  He reiterated that                                                                    
Alaska  was  very  expensive  and   not  everyone  could  do                                                                    
business in the state.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:36:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner   Tangeman  reported   that   the  bonds   were                                                                    
currently  tied  up  in litigation.  The  state  received  a                                                                    
favorable ruling  in the Superior  Court. The case  would go                                                                    
to the Supreme court which would  take at least 12 months to                                                                    
resolve. The state had set  aside $170 million in the budget                                                                    
for the case.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman  turned  to slide  23  that  included                                                                    
three different tables. The top  table was ANS oil price for                                                                    
Fall  2018  versus  the  Spring   2018  forecast.  The  only                                                                    
difference was  in FY 19  where the state  forecasted around                                                                    
$64  per  barrel.  The middle  table  included  UGF  revenue                                                                    
10-year  forecast excluding  the Permanent  Fund transfer  -                                                                    
the POMV  transfer. He  reported a  slight reduction  in the                                                                    
out  years which  was more  in line  with the  state risking                                                                    
potential  production  that  would   be  coming  online.  He                                                                    
suggested if  targets were met,  the negative  numbers would                                                                    
go positive.  However, the department accounted  for risk in                                                                    
case  they   were  delayed  or   did  not  come   online  as                                                                    
anticipated. The  bottom section  included UGF  revenue with                                                                    
the POMV  draw -  it reflected  the additional  revenue that                                                                    
was brought to the table through  the POMV. There was not an                                                                    
aggressive slope  to the  line. The  number went  from about                                                                    
$2.9 billion  in FY 20 to  about $3.3 billion in  FY 28. The                                                                    
amounts were based  on a 5.25 percent POMV  draw dropping to                                                                    
a 5 percent draw.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson asked  about the  5.25 percent  or                                                                    
5.0  percent  POMV   draw  from  the  ERA   which  showed  a                                                                    
sustainable   number.  He   asked  how   the  administration                                                                    
intended to fund the FY 16,  FY 17, and FY 18 dividends that                                                                    
had not been fully funded.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman  answered   the  dividends  would  be                                                                    
funded from  the ERA.  The budget did  not include  the back                                                                    
payments  of Permanent  Fund Dividends.  The payments  would                                                                    
come from  the ERA in  the form  of an additional  draw. The                                                                    
department viewed the money as  funding that would have been                                                                    
drawn from the  ERA to fund FY  16, FY 17, and  FY 18. Since                                                                    
the money  remained in the  ERA, the state experienced  a 10                                                                    
or 12 percent  return. There was an upside to  the fact that                                                                    
a large portion  that was not paid out  earned a substantial                                                                    
return. He  specified that  because it  was a  3-year issue,                                                                    
the department recommended a 3-year solution.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz spoke to the  same issue of paying off back                                                                    
dividends to residents. He clarified  that the back payments                                                                    
would be based on an added  draw of 5.25 percent which would                                                                    
have some  impact on the  amount of revenue the  state would                                                                    
receive from  future draws. He surmised  that the investment                                                                    
money would  no longer  be in the  fund earning  returns. He                                                                    
asked if  estimates included the  idea that the  money would                                                                    
no longer be a part of the investment portfolio.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:41:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman answered  in the  negative. The  data                                                                    
was based on  the current laws in place. The  data was based                                                                    
on  the  year-end  balance for  the  Alaska  Permanent  Fund                                                                    
Corporation (APFC)  and estimates going forward.  It was not                                                                    
taking into account any other proposals.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz asked  what the impact would  be on revenue                                                                    
from future draws if the draws occurred.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman answered  that  once  the bills  were                                                                    
before the  legislature there would  be a  robust discussion                                                                    
in  the modeling  of the  impacts to  the ERA.  He indicated                                                                    
that  the  corporation  was   projecting  earnings  of  $4.1                                                                    
billion  in the  coming year.  The percent  of market  value                                                                    
would  be about  $2.9 billion.  The back  pay in  FY 19  was                                                                    
about $600 million. He reported  that the net earnings would                                                                    
still be about $600 million.  The department could look more                                                                    
closely  at the  impact on  future revenues  once the  bills                                                                    
were before the legislature.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:42:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Glover would  be providing an update on the  oil and gas                                                                    
production  tax audits.  She  began on  slide  25: "OGP  Tax                                                                    
Audit Update." The department had  completed the 2012 audits                                                                    
and  was   nearly  completed  with  the   2013  audits.  The                                                                    
department was working  through much of the  backlog and the                                                                    
complications it had  with audits because of  the changes in                                                                    
tax regimes  from year-to-year. She reported  there had been                                                                    
staff  turnover  and  new  software  to  contend  with.  The                                                                    
department currently  had an online system,  the Tax Revenue                                                                    
Management   System    (TRMS).   The   department    had   a                                                                    
sophisticated, proprietary  software system it used  for tax                                                                    
returns.  The   majority  of  the  returns   were  currently                                                                    
electronic  and provided  for better  data to  be used.  The                                                                    
department  was looking  forward  to getting  into the  2014                                                                    
audit year to see the efficiencies.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Glover  turned  to slide  26:  "OGP  Audit  Improvement                                                                    
Plan."  The department  intended  to be  completed with  the                                                                    
2013 audits by  the end of the first quarter  of the current                                                                    
year. The audit  team planned to take a short  break to step                                                                    
back in  order to plan  for the  future. There was  an audit                                                                    
improvement  plan   the  department  had  been   working  on                                                                    
internally  and  had been  reaching  out  to tax  payers  to                                                                    
develop a  comprehensive plan  dealing with  how to  be more                                                                    
efficient,  streamlined,  and   communicative,  and  how  to                                                                    
incorporate more  stringent audit practices.  The department                                                                    
was  looking at  risk-paced audits,  and issue-based  audits                                                                    
instead of auditing 100 percent of the tax payer returns.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Glover  reported that the  department was  also reaching                                                                    
out  to   other  industry   associations  for   feedback  in                                                                    
benchmark audit  practices. The  department was  planning to                                                                    
have  defined  audit plans  going  into  2014 using  a  more                                                                    
traditional  audit  format  that would  include  an  opening                                                                    
meeting with  the tax  payer, a defined  scope of  an audit,                                                                    
protocols in  hand, and  agreements regarding  data sharing.                                                                    
She explained that sometimes the  department did not get the                                                                    
data it  needed in a  timely manner, but sometimes  that was                                                                    
due  to the  department  making a  last-minute request.  The                                                                    
department wanted to be more  collaborative with tax payers.                                                                    
She  also   mentioned  streamlining   the  TRMS.   Once  the                                                                    
department got through  the 2014 audit cycle,  it would have                                                                    
a  much  better  idea  of   how  it  would  work  using  the                                                                    
information in the system  and using standardized templates.                                                                    
The department was  committed to being in a  3-year cycle by                                                                    
2022.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Johnston  surmised all  of the things  Ms. Glover                                                                    
reported were dependent on whether  the legislature kept the                                                                    
tax regime consistent. Ms. Glover  replied that through 2018                                                                    
audits, the tax structure  was the same. Vice-Chair Johnston                                                                    
commented  that in  order to  maintain a  3-year cycle,  the                                                                    
state would  need to maintain  a consistent tax  regime. She                                                                    
asked  if  she  was  correct.  Ms.  Glover  replied  in  the                                                                    
affirmative.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman  turned  to  the last  slide  of  the                                                                    
presentation,  slide 27:  UGF Relative  to Price  per Barrel                                                                    
(without POMV), FY 2020." He  indicated the slide showed the                                                                    
price sensitivity of ANS and  what revenue could be expected                                                                    
without  the POMV.  He noted  that  the Legislative  Finance                                                                    
Division  also  had  a  price  sensitivity  chart  that  was                                                                    
informative.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster noted  that the  committee  had received  a                                                                    
letter [letter  from Commissioner Tangeman to  the committee                                                                    
to  provide responses  to  committee  questions on  indirect                                                                    
expenditure report  presentation on February 8,  2019, dated                                                                    
February 25, 2019, (copy on file)].                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:47:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Sullivan-Leonard asked  for the final quarter                                                                    
balance for the ERA. She thought it was about $19 billion.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman did not know  the exact amount. He was                                                                    
aware of  the balance on  December 31, 2018 which  was $16.6                                                                    
billion.  Recently the  number was  in the  mid $17  billion                                                                    
range. He  commented that it  reflected the  market changes.                                                                    
He reported  that the total  Permanent Fund  balance dropped                                                                    
to $0.4  billion. However,  the balance of  the ERA  had not                                                                    
changed  significantly. Presently  the total  Permanent Fund                                                                    
balance was over $65 billion.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Sullivan-Leonard  requested to hear  from Mr.                                                                    
King on the numbers.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King replied  that on the APFC website,  the ERA balance                                                                    
would be about  $13.5 billion. He suggested  that the amount                                                                    
was  slightly  misleading  because the  Permanent  Fund  was                                                                    
booked  as  a liability  (the  $2.9  billion draw  that  was                                                                    
coming as the POMV during FY  20). In looking at the numbers                                                                    
he advised caution in the  interpretation. He explained that                                                                    
the $13.5 billion  was the amount of money  available in the                                                                    
fund in addition to the  money that was already obligated to                                                                    
the budgets for FY 19 and  FY 20 which included the dividend                                                                    
payments and the general fund uses.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Sullivan-Leonard  asked  Mr.  King  for  the                                                                    
totals.  Mr. King  responded  that in  looking  at the  cash                                                                    
balance of  the account presently,  it would be  about $19.5                                                                    
billion.  However, it  included all  of the  money that  was                                                                    
obligated to be  transferred to the principle  account or to                                                                    
the  general fund.  The available  balance  was about  $13.5                                                                    
billion.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz  asked  about  the  potential  effects  of                                                                    
making the  Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD)  back payments. He                                                                    
suggested it would have an  impact on the earnings potential                                                                    
of the  fund and for  the POMV draw.  He wanted Mr.  King to                                                                    
comment on any other potential impacts.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  replied that the  more assets the state  had under                                                                    
management,  the more  earnings  it would  generate. If  the                                                                    
money that  was not  paid out  in PFDs  over the  previous 3                                                                    
years that remained  in the fund, the fund  would generate a                                                                    
larger amount of revenue.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz  asked  how much  more  revenue  would  be                                                                    
generated if the draws were not made.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  answered that 6.5  percent of $2 billion  would be                                                                    
approximately $130 million per  year in additional earnings.                                                                    
The question was whether the  earnings belonged to the state                                                                    
or  the  people. The  governor  was  trying to  address  the                                                                    
question.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative    LeBon    appreciated   the    department's                                                                    
conservative  approach to  projections. He  asked about  the                                                                    
industry  standards on  a POMV,  endowment,  or a  permanent                                                                    
fund draw rate.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King answered that looking  at an endowment fund such as                                                                    
a university, the  typical draw rate was  somewhere around 4                                                                    
percent to 5 percent. One  of the reasons for the percentage                                                                    
rate was  because if the  funds deteriorated, there  was not                                                                    
really an  opportunity to make  up the funds.  The Permanent                                                                    
Fund had  a protection  mechanism in the  principle account.                                                                    
By  putting the  account  in a  protected  account and  only                                                                    
drawing  on  the earnings,  it  was  an alternative  way  of                                                                    
managing   an  endowment   fund.   The  protection   existed                                                                    
regardless of whether  a POMV was used. The state  was in an                                                                    
odd situation currently where the  state was using a POMV to                                                                    
restrict the  draws on  the earnings that  were kept  in the                                                                    
holding account  rather than a POMV  on the total fund  as a                                                                    
mechanism for  maintaining the principle protection.  It was                                                                    
slightly  different from  a typical  endowment fund.  It was                                                                    
the  case that  the 5  percent POMV  currently in  place was                                                                    
intended  to  protect  the fund.  Given  the  projection  of                                                                    
returns  the corporation  was currently  using,  it was  the                                                                    
upper  limit of  what  the projection  would  allow. If  the                                                                    
state tried to  draw more than 5 percent, it  would put more                                                                    
stress on the  fund and require a higher  return to maintain                                                                    
the fund balance.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:53:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  LeBon commented  that paying  out money  for                                                                    
past  dividends in  future years  was not  a wise  choice if                                                                    
looking  at  the fund  long-term.  He  wondered if  a  wiser                                                                    
choice would  be to  roll those  dollars into  the principle                                                                    
balance. He  asked if the administration  had considered his                                                                    
suggestion.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman answered  it was  a policy  decision.                                                                    
The governor  strongly felt the  citizens of the  state were                                                                    
entitled to the funds  in FY 16, FY 17, and  FY 18. His goal                                                                    
was to make the issue right.  Since the funds would be drawn                                                                    
out over  the course of 3  years, it would not  be doing any                                                                    
significant damage.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  added that there  was a difference  between trying                                                                    
to grow and protect the fund  versus the intended use of the                                                                    
fund. If the  intent of the fund was to  do what the statute                                                                    
required, which  was to pay  out dividends, then it  was not                                                                    
really  a  question  of  the  most  prudent  fiscal  choice.                                                                    
Rather, it was about whether  it was the morally right thing                                                                    
to  do. It  was  not  a question  of  maximizing the  fund's                                                                    
value,  but about  following the  current  statutes. If  the                                                                    
goal  was  to  maximize  the  fund's  growth,  it  would  be                                                                    
financially  prudent  to cut  the  budget  further to  avoid                                                                    
taking any of the POMV. If the  goal was to grow the fund as                                                                    
large as possible, then the aim  should be no draws from the                                                                    
ERA.  It  was  a  balance  between  the  current  generation                                                                    
following the current  law and how much to  grow the account                                                                    
for future  generations and how much  the current generation                                                                    
should sacrifice in order to protect future generations.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  LeBon surmised  it  would  be a  compromised                                                                    
position to  focus on the formula  as outlined in SB  26 and                                                                    
not to treat the pay back  dollar amounts as a payout to the                                                                    
following 3  years if taking the  most conservative approach                                                                    
to a POMV on an endowment.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  King  answered that  if  a  person perceived  the  $2.4                                                                    
billion sitting  in the  fund as state  money, it  should be                                                                    
protected. If  the money  was viewed  as the  public's money                                                                    
sitting in a state account, it should be dispersed.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Johnston stated that  inflation proofing was also                                                                    
in statute.  She asked if  the department had  done modeling                                                                    
in  terms of  the ERA  and the  stress factor  of inflation-                                                                    
proofing  the  principle  and  the highs  and  lows  of  the                                                                    
availability of funds and the POMV draw.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  King  replied  that   the  inflation  proofing  formula                                                                    
required the  principle balance to  be protected  from being                                                                    
eroded by  inflation. He  reminded members  that it  was not                                                                    
the entire account that was  inflation protected, it was the                                                                    
principle  account. He  conveyed  that when  looking at  the                                                                    
6.55 percent projection on the  total accounting return that                                                                    
the fund was projecting -  the $4.1 billion the commissioner                                                                    
had  discussed  -  the  $2.9  billion  draw  plus  inflation                                                                    
proofing  ate  up  the  earnings.   There  were  not  enough                                                                    
additional earnings  to inflation proof the  current balance                                                                    
of  the  ERA. He  indicated  that  because  of the  way  the                                                                    
current  formula  worked,  the  total  projection  that  the                                                                    
Permanent Fund was  using was not sufficient to  meet all of                                                                    
the statutory  requirements. As  a result,  a little  bit of                                                                    
the money  would be swept  over to the principle  account as                                                                    
long as  the inflation proofing  statute was being  used. In                                                                    
following all  of the current  laws including  the statutory                                                                    
PFD,  inflation proofing,  and the  draw, the  ERA would  be                                                                    
maxed out in terms of what it could do.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:59:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilson  returned to  slide 23.  She did  not recall                                                                    
significant   discussion  occurring   when   SB  26   passed                                                                    
regarding following  the statutory formula of  the dividend.                                                                    
She thought it was the  responsibility of the legislature to                                                                    
follow both statutes. However, it  was important to consider                                                                    
the negative  effects on  the numbers  listed on  the slide.                                                                    
She  suggested that  a 5.25  percent draw  with the  current                                                                    
amount  in the  ERA  would  be very  different  than if  the                                                                    
legislature used $1 billion or $2  billion out of the ERA in                                                                    
the following 2 years.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman  agreed that the  debate on SB  26 was                                                                    
not about  how the amount would  be split. The focus  was on                                                                    
the  amount that  could  be withdrawn.  The  statute on  the                                                                    
calculation of the dividend was  not changed and was the law                                                                    
Governor Dunleavy  thought should  be followed.  He believed                                                                    
it also  lent for the  discussion the governor  was focusing                                                                    
on:  revenues  matching   expenditures.  Regardless  of  the                                                                    
amount drawn from  the ERA for the POMV and  how it would be                                                                    
split, the governor  felt strongly in following  the law for                                                                    
the dividend  calculation and controlling state  spending. A                                                                    
full dividend  payout would equate  to $1.9  billion leaving                                                                    
$1  billion  for government.  The  governor  had turned  the                                                                    
discussion around  by starting with revenues  and building a                                                                    
budget  up  to those  revenues.  He  thought the  discussion                                                                    
shined  the  light  on  the fact  the  state  currently  had                                                                    
limited  revenue  streams.  The   governor's  focus  was  to                                                                    
balance the budget with a full dividend in place.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilson  agreed that  the  state  should have  been                                                                    
balancing its  budget a long  time ago. She  emphasized that                                                                    
the more  the legislature  touched the ERA,  whether through                                                                    
back  pay or  not balancing  the budget,  the more  it would                                                                    
impact government  services and the dividend  in the future.                                                                    
She wanted to better understand the impacts.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Tangeman asked  if  she was  asking about  the                                                                    
impacts of doing  the back payments in  conjunction with the                                                                    
POMV draws.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilson suggested  that there  were two  issues she                                                                    
was  trying  to  better  understand. She  referred  back  to                                                                    
slide 23 which showed how much  funding the state would have                                                                    
in the  following few  years using a  5.25 percent  draw for                                                                    
another year  then dropping to 5.0  percent. The legislature                                                                    
did not  have a  discussion about  how SB  26 worked  with a                                                                    
full dividend because it was  cut. She believed the dividend                                                                    
was about having it for future  years, not just the next few                                                                    
years. She  was trying to  better understand the  impacts of                                                                    
the numbers on the slide with additional draws.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilson reiterated  comments  by Mr.  King about  a                                                                    
necessary 6.5  percent return on  investment. She  noted the                                                                    
stock market  was not  doing well at  present. She  asked if                                                                    
there was a way  to see what the ERA would  look like in the                                                                    
next year  if more  money was  taken out of  the ERA  in the                                                                    
current year. She  wanted everyone to understand  how all of                                                                    
the  figures on  slide  23 worked  based  on decisions  that                                                                    
still needed to be made.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King commented that because  of the way the POMV formula                                                                    
worked on a  5 year averaging basis,  the full ramifications                                                                    
of  the draw  were not  felt in  the first  year. They  were                                                                    
spread out  over time.  He indicated  that, with  the 3-year                                                                    
draw to  pay back  the prior year  dividends, it  was spread                                                                    
out even  further. The hit  the state would be  taking would                                                                    
likely  not be  felt until  2028. The  difference was  about                                                                    
$100 million  per year. He  would show the graphs.  He asked                                                                    
if the  chairman wanted to see  them as part of  the PFD pay                                                                    
back bill or something separate.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:04:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilson  wanted to see  it now. She  asked listeners                                                                    
not to  send her letters  on the back  pay bill yet,  as she                                                                    
had not  made her mind up.  She thought it was  important to                                                                    
take  into consideration  the  time the  state  was in.  She                                                                    
liked Mr.  King's comment about  a draw maybe  not impacting                                                                    
the state  in the  coming year  but would  ultimately impact                                                                    
the state in  future years. The information  would be useful                                                                    
in considering several bills.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Foster  was   fine   with   having  the   current                                                                    
conversation. However,  he noted  that the  department would                                                                    
be  presenting on  a bill  and supplying  the numbers  being                                                                    
requested.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz  asked if  the chair  intended to  have the                                                                    
department  address the  memorandum. Co-Chair  Foster wanted                                                                    
to finish questions on the presentation first.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson   mentioned  the  administration's                                                                    
allegiance to the PFD formula.  He asked about the reduction                                                                    
to  the school  grants  and  whether there  was  a piece  of                                                                    
legislation  changing  the   school  foundation  formula  or                                                                    
simply  moving the  figure  from about  $5000  to $4000  per                                                                    
student  as an  average. Commissioner  Tangeman thought  the                                                                    
Office    of   Management    and   Budget    should   answer                                                                    
Representative    Josephson's    question.    Representative                                                                    
Josephson was curious how  the administration reconciled its                                                                    
fidelity  to one  formula and  whether it  would be  equally                                                                    
loyal to the other formula.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Johnston  asked if  the department  could include                                                                    
how inflation proofing would be affected in its modeling.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:07:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  remarked on  the memorandum and  the shape  of the                                                                    
curve.  He thought  it  was important  to  remember that  in                                                                    
Alaska's oil  tax system it  actually had two oil  systems -                                                                    
effectively  a 4  percent  gross tax  and  effectively a  35                                                                    
percent net tax that had  some credits that brought the rate                                                                    
down. The graphic showed that  at prices below about $65 per                                                                    
barrel, only the gross tax  was in effect accounting for the                                                                    
shape of  the curve. It  was as though the  actual effective                                                                    
gross  tax rate  was  4  percent until  the  net tax  system                                                                    
kicked in.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Tangeman offered to  read the memorandum to the                                                                    
committee. Since  the committee  had time  to review  it, he                                                                    
thought members might have some specific questions.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Ortiz referenced a graph  at the bottom of page 1                                                                    
of the  memorandum related to  the effective  production tax                                                                    
rate. He suggested that, based  on the current oil price and                                                                    
the prices in the forecast,  the effective tax rate would be                                                                    
8 percent  to 9  percent. He  asked if  he was  correct. Mr.                                                                    
Stickel   replied  in   the   affirmative.  It   represented                                                                    
in aggregate  for legacy  fields -  the production  tax only                                                                    
component  of   the  share  of  production   tax  value.  He                                                                    
continued that  at the  FY 20  price of  $64 per  barrel the                                                                    
effective tax rate would be 8 percent.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz clarified  that Mr.  Stickel had  stated 8                                                                    
percent. Mr. Stickel replied in the affirmative.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Ortiz   asked  how  competitive  the   rate  was                                                                    
compared  to other  tax regimes  worldwide. Mr.  Stickel was                                                                    
not prepared to address the question at present.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King answered that Alaska's  tax system was based on the                                                                    
federal  requirements through  federal  law  and the  mining                                                                    
act. He suggested  that because of the way  Alaska owned its                                                                    
natural  resources  and  leased its  mineral  interests,  it                                                                    
applied a tax. Other states  did not own the mineral leases,                                                                    
they  only applied  a tax.  Alaska was  more like  a Central                                                                    
American country  than Texas or  North Dakota.  He explained                                                                    
that the norm in the world  was to have a production sharing                                                                    
agreement in  place. It would  assign risk to  the governing                                                                    
interest. Certain  countries had higher effective  tax rates                                                                    
because  it compensated  them for  taking additional  risks.                                                                    
Whereas, Texas  and North  Dakota had a  lower tax  rate but                                                                    
did  not account  for the  fact that  companies were  paying                                                                    
other  tax rates.  He advised  that  when looking  at the  8                                                                    
percent  or  9  percent  tax   rate  in  the  current  price                                                                    
environment it  was important to  remember there  were other                                                                    
ways  the state  was generating  revenue. He  explained that                                                                    
SB 21  [Legislation passed  in  2013 regarding  oil and  gas                                                                    
production tax]  was designed  so that  the 12.5  percent or                                                                    
16.67 percent royalty rate in  combination with the net rate                                                                    
was relatively stable  at about 60 percent to  65 percent of                                                                    
total take.  In total, the  state took more than  most other                                                                    
regimes  especially  relative  to  the risks  taken  by  the                                                                    
state.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:12:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Knopp  believed it was important  to note the                                                                    
graph included  production tax rates. He  clarified that Mr.                                                                    
King had  stated that  when the  taxes were  combined Alaska                                                                    
was on par with other states.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King  answered that he  was hesitant to say  that Alaska                                                                    
was on  par with other states  due to the difference  in the                                                                    
regimes. If the question was  whether Alaska was getting its                                                                    
fair share  and looking  at the  numbers, most  people would                                                                    
say  it looked  relatively fair.  It was  not the  case that                                                                    
companies  were running  away with  the bank.  If the  state                                                                    
were  to increase  the  tax rate,  it  would put  additional                                                                    
stress on the economics to continue to produce.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative Josephson  clarified that  Mr. King  used the                                                                    
number of 65 percent as the  total state take but thought he                                                                    
meant between  the federal and  state governments.  Mr. King                                                                    
confirmed  Representative Josephson  was  correct. He  meant                                                                    
the total amount of the producer's share.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Josephson asked  for additional clarification                                                                    
about the number.  Mr. King answered that  the sliding scale                                                                    
barrel  credit   was  intended  to  create   some  level  of                                                                    
progressivity  that  offset  the regressive  nature  of  the                                                                    
royalty. He  suggested that  when there  was a  12.5 percent                                                                    
gross, it  was a  higher share  of the  net when  oil prices                                                                    
were low. The intent of SB  21 was to create an almost level                                                                    
total  non-producer share  across all  price ranges.  In the                                                                    
current  price  environment,  there   was  a  similar  share                                                                    
presently -  as if the prices  were $90 to $100  per barrel.                                                                    
He  continued that  the pie  would get  bigger but  would be                                                                    
distributed consistently.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson agreed  that when  prices fell  in                                                                    
2014 there had been discussion  about the total take for the                                                                    
state including  its royalty  share. It  reflected something                                                                    
the state  owned, but  it still needed  help getting  to the                                                                    
resource.  He  thought  it  remained  a  reflection  of  the                                                                    
state's  entitlement by  virtue of  statehood. He  suggested                                                                    
tax was a different policy  altogether. He asked Mr. King if                                                                    
he agreed.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. King thought  it was important to remember  that the oil                                                                    
owned by the state was  leased to producers through DNR. The                                                                    
royalty that  was kept for  the state was to  compensate the                                                                    
state for its ownership share.  The taxes and the other ways                                                                    
the state collected  revenue from the companies  were not to                                                                    
compensate  the  state  for its  ownership  share.  The  tax                                                                    
system was  not intended to  capture value from  the state's                                                                    
ownership share. It was the  contract the state entered into                                                                    
when it leased out its resources.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster thanked the presenters. He reviewed the                                                                         
schedule for the following day.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilson  noted that  they  had  asked OMB  for  the                                                                    
matrix that it used to create  the budget. She wanted to see                                                                    
the  information prior  to  the  Thursday meeting.  Co-Chair                                                                    
Foster agreed.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:18:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 3:18 p.m.                                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
Fall 2018 Revenue Forecast Presentation.HFC.2.25.2019.pdf HFIN 2/25/2019 1:30:00 PM
HFIN Revenue Forecast
DOR House Response 2.25.2019.pdf HFIN 2/25/2019 1:30:00 PM
DOR Response 2/8/19 Indirect Exp House Mtg