Alaska House Majority Coalition

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.

The House Health and Social Services Committee is continuing Commissioner-designee Adam Crum's confirmation hearing today and will again take public testimony. Public testimony is likely going to begin around 3:30pm.

On Thursday, April 11th, the House passed a budget for the State of Alaska. We have spent the last month and a half digging into department budgets, asking critical questions, analyzing impacts of potential cuts, and taking amendments at all levels - in the Subcommittees, in the Full House Finance, and on the Floor. The budget now goes to the Senate. Below are some of the highlights of the passed budget (HB39).