After negotiating over the Memorial Day weekend, the Legislature passed a $4.6 billion operating budget. This is a reduction of $500 million from last year. We also passed one of the smallest capital budgets in state history. Nearly $3.2 billion comes from the Constitutional Budget Reserve, the state’s savings account. The session now can be laser-focused on a fiscal plan, before our savings are depleted.
On Tuesday, the legislature passed a compromise budget package funded by the Constitutional Budget Reserve as is needed. This budget compromise is far from perfect, as are many compromises, but it allows us to keep Alaska open for business so that the fishing, tourism and business communities can continue to operate during the summer. The budget compromise ensures that we don’t face a crippling government shut down which would further damage the State of Alaska’s credit rating and hurt the thousands of Alaskan state employees and those who count on their essential efforts. In this special session update, I will describe these budgets generally as well as what is next in the special session.
Juneau – The members of the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition (AIDC) have consistently insisted that any plan to address Alaska’s ongoing fiscal crisis be comprehensive in nature and include reform to our flawed oil and gas subsidy system that is costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars. House Bill 247 remains the linchpin to a successful fiscal plan, yet the Conference Committee has not met during the 4th Special Session of the 29th Alaska Legislature. House Resources Committee member Representative Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage) represents the AIDC on the Conference Committee and is the only member of the conference committee that originally voted yes on the compromise House bill that passed with bipartisan support.
This week, the legislature passed a statewide operating budget and a capital budget. Passing this budget compromise means the state has avoided sending lay-off notices to state employees. Although passing the budget is a step in the right direction, the legislature has not adopted a long-term solution to Alaska’s financial challenges. There is more work to be done to implement a responsible action plan for Alaska.
JUNEAU — Today, members of the Alaska Senate Democrats and the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition sent a letter to Laura Eskenazi, the Vice Chairman and Executive in Charge of the Board of Veterans Appeals, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, requesting immediate in-person proceedings in Alaska by the Board of Veterans Appeals.
