It's a saber rattling response to a bill in the Washington Legislature that would tax fuel that's refined in Washington and exported to other states, including Alaska.

However, Washington's bill was introduced to send a message to Oregon, not Alaska, and is not going anywhere in any event, the presiding officer of the Washington House, Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Mount Vernon, has told worried Alaska legislators.

Washington currently exempts fuel exports from its 37.5 cent fuel tax. The measure would lift the exemption on the approximately 2.4 billion gallons of fuel exported annually to eight other states. The measure would raise about $500 million a year for statewide transportation projects, according to a Washington analysis.

Alaska House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, said his bill aims to prevent that bill from passing.

"We've looked at the issue of how can we protect Alaskans from paying for their (Washington's) state government," Chenault said. "This is a counteractive measure to get them to stop."

The bill would credit states that already have a fuel tax. But Alaska rescinded its 8-cent motor fuel tax last year, meaning it would pay the full per gallon tax under the bill, as would Montana.

It would generate about $7.7 million a year from Alaska, according to Washington's analysis.

Chenault's bill has 26 co-sponsors so far in the 40-member House, but the show of force may be unnecessary.

The Washington bill had a single hearing March 17 in the House transportation committee. Morris said the idea was discussed in a mix of revenue generating options but does not stand much of a chance to make it into law.

"It's pretty unlikely that it will move. We would need a two-thirds majority to get a tax increase through, which is tough," Morris said.

Also, the deadline has passed to move fiscal bills out of committee but that doesn't preclude them from being brought up again before the session ends April 26. Still, revenue from the proposed fuel tax was not factored into the House version of the state's transportation budget.

Morris told Alaska's Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, that the Washington bill was introduced by a House member whose district is on the Washington-Oregon border. The bill was that legislator's attempt to bring attention to the difference in state gasoline taxes between Washington and Oregon and the traffic of Washington residents to gasoline retail stations in Oregon because of lower fuel taxes.

Morris said Alaska is quick to criticize its southern neighbor for raising taxes even though it recently raised its oil production taxes, which could affect fuel prices in Washington. He said Washington also wants to benefit from its natural resources.

"We do not have oil reserves, one of our natural resources is our deep water ports," Morris said.

Two years ago, Alaska lawmakers sounded off on another Washington proposal to impose a fee of $100 or more on shipping containers carrying freight in and out of that state.

Both the Alaska House and Senate passed resolutions opposing the measure, saying the added cost of shipping would be economically devastating to Alaska.

Some 97 percent of goods shipped to Alaska arrive via shipping containers - almost all of them from Washington state.

The Washington container tax bill never made it into law.

Journal reporter Tim Bradner contributed to this story.