I would like to begin with a quote from Byron Mallott, a candidate for governor of the state of Alaska in 2014 in the Juneau paper on March 9, 2014.
“HB 77 is just the latest effort to silence Alaskans …. I trust an informed Alaska public to help make decisions that benefit us all, that provide for jobs, economic opportunities and healthy communities. The first questions asked of any development should be how will the public benefit and how does that benefit weigh against any public harm? .. Alaskans deserve a real conversation about striking the right balance — we shouldn’t destroy one resource to develop another or trade short-term gain for long term success.”
It is my personal feeling as a concerned citizen of Alaska that HB77 denies me and the other citizens of Alaska a continuing input that would cause loss of long-term stable benefit for a short term fix. By requiring stringent reductions of public input for issues such as fish habitat and other water related rights, this bill violates the intent of Alaska’s constitution.