Alaska House Majority Coalition

The legislative session is hitting its high gear as the debate over the state budget moves from the House to the Senate. I cast a yes vote for the budget that came out of the House, but I am aware it’s not perfect. However, it is a good budget. It is the responsible alternative to the unworkable budget proposal put forward by Governor Dunleavy. Now, the next move belongs to the State Senate.

It is a busy time in the State Capitol. The House passed its version of the Operating Budget for FY2020 last week, which makes more than $200 million in achievable reductions to the size of state government and protects our vulnerable populations, education system, roads and workforce. Reducing the footprint of government is a multi-year effort to carry out.

Last week, the House passed the operating budget, House Bill 39, and identified over $200 million in cuts, such as: $72.9 million in Medicaid efficiencies, $13 million in the Department of Corrections (efficiencies were based on encouraging the use of electronic monitoring and halfway houses in an effort to keep prisoners in-state while saving money), and $14.5 million to the Department of Transportation.

Last Thursday, the House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) operating budget, with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents voting to pass a budget which aims to protect Alaska’s education, public safety, transportation, and health care programs. While I do not feel that the budget is perfect, it is a great improvement on the budget proposed by the governor two months ago.