Oil Tax Reform Opponents Say Signature-Gathering Being Disrupted

Organizers behind an effort to repeal Alaska's oil tax overhaul say their efforts to gather signatures in Anchorage have been disrupted.

Pat Lavin, campaign coordinator for "Vote Yes! Repeal the Giveaway," has written to Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew, seeking a meeting. Lavin, in his letter, says two people over the weekend harassed a petition circulator on the Park Strip, while one of the same people, a woman, grabbed people signing booklets in front of a bookstore Monday. He says managers then asked the circulators to leave.

He says the group hasn't seen behavior like this in other communities.

The group must gather about 30,000 qualified signatures by July 13 to get the referendum on next year's ballot. Lavin estimates the group has gathered over 20,000 signatures so far.