Greetings from your District 31 Representative. It has been a long, tough legislative session. The House and Senate were able to come to a compromise on some items, but there are several key pieces which were not resolved. The decisions the state faces are difficult ones and will affect all Alaskans and our future.
It has been a while since my last letter and I would like to update you on the legislature’s progress over the past two special sessions. This was a contentious year in Juneau and a difficult time for all Alaskans as uncertainty loomed in the form of a potential government shutdown, job losses, an economic recession, State credit-rating downgrades, and a reduction to PFDs. A potential income tax, the oil and gas tax restructuring, and other controversial solutions on the table added to the fervor of the debate.
Last week, the legislature passed SB23, the capital budget, authorizing state spending of $122 million for projects across the state. This was the smallest capital budget in years, and while I know this money is critical to maintaining Alaska’s essential infrastructure, I could not support the current form of the bill and had to vote ‘no’.
Yesterday, the legislature convened itself in a 3rd special session to pass the capital budget. The legislature passed a bipartisan compromise that uses about $122 million in state unrestricted general funds to obtain about $1.2 billion in federal funds. For every dollar in state funds, we receive $10 from the federal government for a variety of infrastructure and transportation projects.
On Thursday the legislature gaveled themselves back in for the third special session and passed the FY18 capital budget (SB 23). This year’s capital budget is the smallest since 2000 according to the Legislative Finance reports available online, but it leverages $1.2 billion in federal funds to keep our roads, highways, and water systems in working order.
Yesterday, the legislature called itself into session, quickly passed the capital budget, and adjourned. I will go into detail on the capital budget and talk about my vote on it in a forthcoming e-newsletter, but I mostly wanted to remind you about our first “Gabbing with Gabby” of this year.
Yesterday, the legislature approved a capital budget compromise that ensures Alaska will continue to receive federal funding for road repairs, bridge upgrades, school facilities, and vital infrastructure projects that keep Alaskans working. Passage of the capital budget will allow the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities to move forward on construction projects this summer without delay, remove uncertainty for contractors looking to submit bids, and create better job security in the construction industry.
Yesterday, the Alaska Legislature passed a compromise capital budget that spends about $140M of state money to leverage about $1.2B in federal funds. The House vote was 27-13 and the Senate vote was 15-4. Although either a “yes” or “no” vote was arguably justifiable, after some deliberation, I voted to pass this budget.
