Lawmakers move rewrite of Walker's fisheries tax bill

JUNEAU (AP) — A House fisheries committee advanced a rewrite of Gov. Bill Walker's fisheries tax bill on Tuesday, diverting half of the potential revenue into a seafood marketing fund.

The bill, one of six proposed taxes on industries from Walker, could raise an additional $18 million in revenue by adding a one percent tax increase to portions of the commercial fishing industry.

The new language requires that one-half of the tax increase to be deposited into a newly created Alaska Seafood Marketing Fund. The legislature is also given the option to appropriate the marketing fund to the Alaska S...