ANCHORAGE – The Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition compromise with the Majority leadership in the House and Senate today enabled the Alaska Legislature to pass an operating budget for Fiscal Year 2016 that prevents a government shutdown at the end of the month.
Read More →ANCHORAGE – Today, the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition released a memo from the Alaska Department of Revenue showing the Republican-proposed budget spends $600 million more on oil tax credits than provided for under Alaska’s statutory cap on credit payments.
Read More →ANCHORAGE – Today, Governor Walker announced his intention to veto the portions of House Bill 72 that deal with fiscal year 2016. This is due to the fact that the House and Senate Majorities passed a largely unfunded budget, which could result in a shutdown of state government beginning in July.
Read More →JUNEAU – The House Democratic Independent Coalition and the Senate Democrats will be holding a press availability at 1pm, TODAY, at the Anchorage LIO to discuss the disappointing lack of progress in the special session and to announce a plan of action for public hearings.
Read More →JUNEAU – Today, the Majority organizations in the House and Senate voted to give themselves a vacation by passing House Concurrent Resolution 101. It allows both bodies to recess until May 12. HCR 101 was passed along caucus lines. All thirteen members of the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition and the five members of the Alaska Senate Democrats opposed the resolution.
Read More →JUNEAU – The Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition concurs with Governor Bill Walker in his call for lawmakers to continue working towards a fully funded budget before taking a break from the special session in Juneau. On Monday, without support from the 13 members of the Coalition, the House and Senate Majorities approved a FY 2016 budget that includes a five percent cut to public education and spending over $3 billion more than available revenue. This flawed budget could result in the elimination of vital state services as soon as August.
Read More →JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska Legislature passed the most irresponsible budget in the history of Alaska. The FY 2016 budget results in major public education cuts, eliminates nearly all early learning opportunities, jeopardizes the future of a natural gas pipeline, and makes it more difficult for thousands of Alaskans to get affordable healthcare.
Read More →JUNEAU – The members of the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition congratulate Coalition Leader Representative Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage) and talk radio host Bernadette Wilson on the birth of their daughter. Penelope Grace Tuck was born at 7:10 am Sunday morning, April 19.
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JUNEAU – Monday, the Alaska House of Representatives voted unanimously for a resolution urging the Canadian government to keep the border open 24 hours a day between Hyder, Alaska and Stewart, British Columbia. House Joint Resolution 22 is sponsored by Representative Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan). Earlier this month the Canadian Border Services Agency implemented a closure of the border crossing from midnight to 8 am.
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JUNEAU—Today, Representatives Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan) called on the State to prevent the destruction of wild salmon spawning and rearing waters on the prized Chuitna River near Tyonek. The Canadian company PacRim Coal proposes to dredge and dewater an 11 mile stretch of the Middle Fork of the Chuitna River. PacRim Coal plans to sell the coal from the Chuitna River streambed to China.
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