“Alaskans are being crushed by the special-interest price hikes coming out of DC – but I will stand up to anyone to put Alaska first and fight for lower costs. Alaskans are tough — but there’s only so many times you can pay $10 a gallon for fuel or skip a doctor’s visit before you start to feel pissed that DC politicians keep making things worse. It shouldn’t be this hard to get by in Alaska, and when I’m in the U.S. Senate, I’m going to fight to make life affordable for hardworking Alaska families.”
-Mary Peltola
As Lower 48 special interests keep getting richer and richer, life in Alaska keeps getting more expensive. From Juneau to Utqiaġvik, the entire state is struggling with the rising prices of groceries, energy, and housing – and no one in DC is doing anything about it. Mary will work to change that.
HERE'S HOW WE FIX IT:
Producing Alaska Energy, For Alaskans
- As a major energy-producing state, Alaska shouldn’t be paying some of the highest energy prices in the country. Mary knows that refining more of our oil here in Alaska will lower fuel costs, create good-paying jobs, and help meet the increased need for military readiness in the Arctic, and she will push for targeted tax credits that encourage investment in Alaska refineries.
- Right now, federal red tape and partisan politics are major roadblocks for Alaska’s energy economy. Mary will stand up to anyone to pass permitting reform that streamlines pathways for Alaska energy projects so development moves at Alaska’s pace, not DC’s.
- Energy prices are out of control, and Alaska needs solutions from every angle. In addition to fighting for oil and gas development by Alaskans for Alaskans, Mary will fight to restore federal tax credits for solar, wind, hydropower projects that were cut by DC’s reconciliation bill, and push for federal funding to diversify energy inputs for Alaska’s Railbelt. Alaskans need more energy in our portfolio to drive down costs, and Mary will fight to make it happen.
Lower Taxes, Higher Wages
- With high costs already stretching families thin, Alaska families should be keeping more money in their pockets. Mary will fight to cut taxes for more than half of hardworking Alaskans and eliminate federal income tax entirely for working and middle-class Alaskans earning less than $92,000 per year, paid for by raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires.
- Alaskans work harder than anyone – but they shouldn’t have to work two or three jobs just to stay afloat. Mary will push for real wage increases for Alaska workers by creating tax incentives for companies that pay fair wages and holding large corporations accountable for prioritizing multimillion-dollar executive bonuses before worker pay.
- Every hardworking Alaskan should be able to retire with dignity and live on their hard-earned benefits. That’s why Mary will work to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits for the nearly 95,000 seniors in Alaska.
Supporting Alaska Families
- No Alaska child should go to bed hungry, and families shouldn’t have to pinch pennies to afford groceries. Mary will fight to pass the Expanded Child Tax Credit — $3,600 annually per child under age six, and $3,000 for children ages 6-17 — to put real money back in Alaskans’ pockets.
- Childcare is a necessity, not a luxury. Mary will cut red tape and expand grants, forgivable loans, and tax credits, making it easier to open childcare businesses and bring trusted providers to rural and underserved communities across Alaska.
- Alaskans serve in our military at the highest rate in the nation, and they shouldn’t be squeezed out of living here. Mary will fight to protect and expand the Overseas Cost of Living Allowance so servicemembers and their families can afford to live in the state they’re protecting.
Cracking Down on Corrupt Corporations
- Big corporations shouldn’t be taking advantage of hardworking Alaskans. Mary will fight to ban price gouging once and for all, halting corporate greed and inflation, and stopping companies from using natural disasters, emergencies, and supply shortages to rip off Alaskans in need.
- Groceries are too expensive, and healthy competition is critical to keeping prices down. Mary has and will continue to work to block anti-competitive mergers that let grocery chains and other corporations reduce Alaskans’ choices and drive up prices.
Strengthening Supply Chains & Lowering Shipping Costs
- Alaskans shouldn’t have to pay twice as much as the Lower 48 for the same goods. Mary will fight to invest in and restore funding for Bypass Mail to lower shipping costs for rural Alaska and work to create an Essential Freight Service to bring shipping rates and prices down across the state.
- For too long, corporations have been making excuses for jacking up prices. Mary will work to increase supply chain transparency, requiring large grocery stores to disclose their profit margins, shipping costs, and pricing practices to ensure Alaskans are getting a fair deal.
- Whether it’s the control board for a truck-mounted snowplow, a snowmachine, or everyday electronics and appliances – companies shouldn’t be making it harder and more expensive for Alaskans to fix their hardware. Mary will work to pass “right to repair” laws requiring manufacturers to provide affordable access to diagnostic tools, parts, and repair instructions for the machinery rural Alaskans depend on.
Lowering Housing Prices
- Alaska homes should belong to Alaskans, not corporate landlords. Mary will crack down on the out-of-state corporations and hedge funds buying up homes and turning neighborhoods into investment portfolios while local families can’t afford their first house.
- Young Alaskans shouldn’t have to leave the state because they can’t afford rent. Mary will fight for refundable federal tax credits for renters paying more than 30% of their income in rent, extending the same kind of relief that homeowners have long received.
- In some villages, Alaskans are forced to sleep ten people in a small house. Mary will fight to protect and expand Indian Housing Block Grants to get more homes built in communities that need them.
- Alaskans shouldn’t be bidding against foreign interests when trying to afford a home. Mary will push for additional taxes on non-resident foreign purchases of residential real estate to keep Alaska housing affordable for Alaskans.