Friday in the Sun (May 28): The Crystal Ball edition
Dunleavy doesn’t have a crystal ball but would like you to think he does, the dividend could come down, a banner week for Murkowski, behind the scenes on the Alaska Judicial Council and more.
May 2021
‘Total frustration.’ Legislature’s budget battle to drag on past Memorial Day
Hopes to be done by Memorial Day have gone the way of the 90-day special session.
Murkowski supports Jan. 6 commission
Congress’ latest flashpoint over former President Donald Trump is taking shape in the battle on whether or not to appoint a commission to investigate the…
Something doesn’t add up with Dunleavy’s dividend plan
Somehow the governor’s team figured out a pain-free plan to pay out huge dividends. Someone should get ahold of the legislators who’ve been pushing far more modest plans to let them know they can have their cake and eat it too.
Biden signs bill enabling Alaska cruise season to resume this year
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had nothing but praise for the process that led to the passage of the bill. “This bill is an example of the critical bipartisan work that can be done in Congress,” she said, “and the president is grateful to Sen. Murkowski and Congressman Young for their leadership in this area.”
The pandemic enters the ‘personal choice’ phase
We were always going to need to find the line of acceptable covid-19 cases and deaths, and it seems like that line is being drawn right around “There’s a widely available vaccine that will keep you out of the hospital.”
Bronson’s victory to be certified Tuesday, Dunbar concedes with a warning
Dunbar warns Bronson could be coming for Anchorage’s by-mail elections.
Friday in the Sun (May 21): The Turning Point edition
Welcome to the latest edition of Friday in the Sun, our weekly column attempting to make sense of an exhausting week at the end of an exhausting four months of the legislative session.
Senate proposes $1,200 return-to-work bonus as other worker-focused measures languish
The proposal would require people returning from unemployment to work at least 30 hours a week for a month to qualify. People working between 20 and 30 hours would get $600.
Senate approves $2,300 PFD and overdraw on the Permanent Fund as Legislature heads into overtime
The dividend and the overdraw, however, are far from final because the operating budget is already headed to negotiations with the House where it could change dramatically.