Alaska House Majority Coalition

Summer is underway in Fairbanks, with many bright and sunny days ahead of us! Meanwhile, the Governor’s Special Session has concluded, and Legislators have headed home from Juneau. I am looking forward to being home more often during this beautiful time of year, but there is unfinished business that the Legislature is working on. Right now, I am serving on a working group made up of four House and four Senate members to explore the history of the Permanent Fund and ask critical questions. We have had only a few meetings so far, but I am optimistic that the conversations will contribute to better decision making for the future of the PFD.

The legislature adjourned, ending this year's first special session. With funding for the capital budget and the amount of the Permanent Fund Dividend unresolved, the House Majority will continue working and remains committed to finding solutions to address Alaska's immediate and long-term financial challenges.

Adjusted for inflation and population, the budget is the lowest it has been in 15 years, since 2005. It is a reduction of $190 million from last year. The budget is $4.3 billion in Unrestricted General Funds (UGF) for agency and statewide operations. We did not dip into savings; in fact, we have an approximately $600 million surplus. However, as discussed below, it does not include the dividend. It is now headed to the Governor's desk. The Capital Budget is still being discussed.

It has been a busy week in Anchorage and in Juneau. Here's an update on the budget, Permanent Fund, and efforts to clean up our parks and keep Anchorage safe: