By Bradners’ Alaska Legislative Digest

Senate Bill 168, permitting a tax credit against the state’s cruise ship passenger tax for similar taxes imposed by Juneau and Ketchikan, was pulled from the Senate floor Monday, March 3. Reports were that Gov. Sarah Palin threatened to veto the bill. The state $50 tax, including $4 for environmental monitoring, was passed by initiative in 2006. However, both Juneau and Ketchikan had pre-existing passenger taxes that cruise lines would pay on top of the state $50 tax.