Committee Advances Wilken’s Revenue Sharing Bill
SB 3 creates sustainable community dividend program

Juneau - A bill introduced by Sen. Gary Wilken to establish a community dividend fund moved from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee today.

“We need to provide revenue sharing. In my town it’s tax relief, and in other towns it’s many other things, but the state has to step up and provide revenue sharing, and do so on a sustainable basis,” said Sen. Wilken, R-Fairbanks.

Senate Bill 3 establishes the community dividend fund and allows the legislature to appropriate the amount necessary to provide a dividend equal to $70 per person for all municipalities and unincorporated communities, plus an additional $30 per person residing in a municipality that contributes locally to its school district.

Sen. Wilken said he hopes the bill moves on to the Senate Finance Committee, where the concept could be discussed and possibly rolled into some other funding mechanism.

SB 3 now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

A sound actuality can be downloaded from the following link:
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/wilken2007041701a.mp3