JUNEAU — Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, has scaled back her proposal for a massive hike on Alaska's studded tire tax.
Giessel's original legislation would have increased the state user fee to $75 a tire, up from $5 now, which would have tallied $300 for a set of four instead of the current $20.
[Anchorage state senator would boost studded tire fee to $300 from $20]
In a new "sponsor substitute" introduced Wednesday, Giessel is now calling for a $50 tax instead — or $200 for a full set, which would come on top of a $2.50 fee for all tires, studded or not. She made the change after hearing from constituents, said Daniel McDonald, a spokesman for Giessel's Republican-led Senate majority.
The new version of the legislation also includes language specifying the fee applies to online sales if the tires will be used primarily in Alaska. Such sales are currently subject to the tax, but the Alaska Department of Revenue says it doesn't actively enforce it on online purchases.