In order to set the record straight, Wesley Loy's story of May 10 ("Oil tax discord gums up last day") stated that Rep. Mike Hawker, others and myself "were seen repeatedly huddling with Murkowski administration staffers and consultants, including former state tax director Dan Dickinson, in the House Chambers during the debate on the PPT oil tax bill, presumably working to craft a plan hewing to the governor's 20 percent tax rate and a 20 precent credit on new exploration or development spending." That is a very inaccurate statement. We where not hewing to the governor's plan.

The tax/credit in the House-passed bill was a 21.5 percent tax rate and a 20 percent tax credit rate, with significant increase (on a progressive sliding scale) when oil prices are high. At $70 a barrel, the House version's tax rate was 7.5 precent higher than the governor's 20/20 proposal and 1.3 percent higher than the final Senate version.

The huddling was to verify the effect and consequences of numerous amendments introduced during our all-nighter.

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