Politics

State considers asking Alaska Supreme Court for second look at oil credit decision

The state of Alaska is asking the Alaska Supreme Court for more time to consider a decision last week that invalidated a billion-dollar plan to borrow money to pay tax credits owed to oil and gas drillers.

Court rules allow 10 days for the losing side in a lawsuit to request another hearing on the issue. On Tuesday, the state asked for additional time to determine whether it will ask for a rehearing.

Rehearings are granted only if the court overlooked something, and the court system’s own description of the process says, “The court rarely grants a petition for rehearing.”

Joe Geldhof, the attorney who successfully challenged the state, said the chance that the Supreme Court would overturn itself can be measured in negative numbers.

The court ruled unanimously against the state’s plan, which was proposed by then-Gov. Bill Walker in 2018, was approved by the Alaska Legislature and stayed on course under Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

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James Brooks

James Brooks was a Juneau-based reporter for the ADN from 2018 to May 2022.

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