Anchorage – Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and Facing Foster Care in Alaska founder Amanda Metivier are launching a back-to-school drive to get more laptops to foster youth so they can succeed in school.
For many, Labor Day represents the end of the summer and the return to school. We can also remember the origins of the holiday, the history of the labor movement, and the strength and diversity of our nation’s workers.
Tomorrow, join the neighborhood for music, good food, making new friends and catching up with old ones at the Sand Lake Community Council Picnic! Everyone is welcome. Hope to see you there!
Fairbanks – The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) has opened a public process to gather information about broadband internet service in Alaska, including current and future projects. The RCA will use the voluntary information for a report to the Alaska Legislature. The effort to examine the availability of broadband internet in Alaska is the result of intent language inserted into the FY 2018 budget at the behest of House Finance Committee member Representative David Guttenberg (D-Fairbanks).
Juneau – Tonight, to avert the looming government shutdown, the Alaska State Legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2018 Operating Budget. The compromise budget totals $4.1 billion in Unrestricted General Fund (UGF) spending and sets this year’s Permanent Fund Dividend at $1,100. The K-12 Base Student Allocation (BSA) will be fully funded at $1.2 billion, the same level of funding as the current year. This reverses the $69 million cut to education advanced by the Alaska Senate.Â
With just five days left before we hit the May 17 endpoint of the Constitutionally authorized 121-day legislative session, and with several major pieces of legislation still the subject of hearings or conference committee negotiations, it is clear that work in Juneau will continue into another stage of overtime.
The 121-day Constitutional end-of-session deadline is fast-approaching and progress has slowed dramatically. We are starting to hear of some movement in the Senate, but actions on HB115, the Education Funding Act, have become a challenge.
Happy May Day! May Day also marks the beginning of the “Week of Hearings” in House Finance. We will be listening to presentations on the economy and fiscal policy from various experts. These presentations will be highly informative. If you are interested in viewing them, they will begin at 1:30 pm every day. Click here for a link to the live streams.
