Alaska’s general election is a little more than a month away, and KTNA has invited all of the local candidates for state legislature to speak to Upper Valley residents. This week, State Representative Wes Keller appeared on Su-Valley Voice with host Phillip Manning to discuss his campaign to continue representing District 10.
Wes Keller says he has lived in Alaska since 1964. His time in the legislature began in 2007 when he was appointed to fill a vacancy. Since then, he has won three elections to retain his seat. Now, he is running once again. As with all the State House candidates, I spoke with Representative Keller about the issues facing the state, as well as those that will appear on the ballot on November 4th. Keller says that, if re-elected, he would strive for:
“…a sustainable, responsible government. I’m a conservative, so I’m always looking for areas where government is doing things that can and should be done…at the local levels or in the family…I’m generally a smaller government guy.”
Representative Keller says that the budget is one of the state’s biggest current legislative issues. Specifically, he says that the mindset behind the state’s operating budget needs to be shifted.
“That’s the one that we need to modernize. Frankly, we are in the habit of paying for things based on history, based on the way things have been, and we don’t go in and modernize the budget to fit the revenue stream that is there, new technology that is there, or whatever.”
With regard to the capital budget, Wes Keller says some projects, like the Port MacKenzie rail spur, should continue, even if it requires dipping into the state’s savings, because of the potential future impact that they could have on jobs. By far the largest capital project currently on the table is the Alaska LNG Project. Keller says the price tag on the pipeline is intimidating, but acknowledges that the financial backing by BP, Conoco-Phillips, and Exxon-Mobil, make a significant impact.
“It’s really encouraging right now…with the number of producers that are stepping forward with their investments, and you’re hearing new ones all the time.”
The other megaproject that Upper Valley residents are keeping an eye on is the Susitna-Watana Hydyroelectric Project. Representative Keller voted to continue funding studies for the Susitna Dam, and says he is not ready to come down on one side or the other on the project until the data is in. He does say, though, that the prospects of the LNG pipeline could have an impact on the dam’s future.
“I cannot imagine a scenario where we would have an LNG line and [Susitna] Watana Dam. I just can’t. We don’t have the population base to justify that kind of spending.”
While the proposed LNG pipeline is estimated to cost up to ten times as much as Susitna-Watana, Wes Keller says the shared financial burden as well as the export possibility of the pipeline changes the balance.
On the topic of ballot initiatives, Representative Keller says he voted no on Proposition 1, which would have repealed the state’s new oil tax regime. He says that the system should be monitored to see if the expected investment increases occur, and that there is an option to review oil taxes again at some point in the future.
Proposition 2 deals with the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state. Representative Keller says he is active in the “Vote No on 2” campaign, and that this is one area where he makes an exception to his general small government position.
“This is one of those that we’re talking [about] a controlled substance…I’m learning a lot about the incredible negative potential effect that is there.”
Alaska’s third ballot issue this year will be an increase in the minimum wage. If passed, Prop 3 would ultimately increase minimum wage two dollars per hour to $9.75. Representative Keller voted in the last legislative session to increase the minimum wage, but says he will vote against the measure in November. On Wednesday, he explained the reasons that his legislative and personal votes differ.
“The reason I voted then was partly–right or wrong–out of respect for what most people I think in Alaska wanted. The other was political, frankly. It has huge ramifications on who shows up in this November election. Of course, that’s the sort of thing that usually gets talked about in dark, smoky rooms…”
Representative Keller also says he will be voting against Proposition 4, which would require legislative approval of Bristol Bay mining projects such as Pebble Mine. He says the permitting of such projects is the purview of agencies and not the legislature.
Election day is November 4th. Wes Keller will appear on the ballot for State House Seat 10 along with Democrat Neal Lacy and unaffiliated candidate Roger Purcell. You can listen to the full interviews with Wes Keller and both challengers online at KTNA.org.
