The Legislature is back in session. Hooray.
They can’t even agree on when they should meet, let alone what they should do with the fiscal crisis.
alaska legislature
Dunleavy will not veto $1,100 PFD, calls fourth special session to ‘get the rest’
Isn’t doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results the definition of something?
Ah, right, Alaska politics.
Legislature finalizes $1,100 PFD after nearly fumbling it away
It looked like the session was going to end without a dividend but upon further review, one legislator decided that a $1,100 PFD is better than none.
Covid-19 bill dead as hospitals warn politically motivated changes could make pandemic worse
The same turn also happened in the Senate where a slate of amendments aimed at poking holes in vaccine requirements initially sunk the bill before it was revived with the hope that the House could salvage it. It turns out those hopes were misplaced.
Dunleavy asks Legislature for do-over on public health nursing veto as covid surges
In his veto, the governor’s administration claimed that the gap could be made up with federal funds and then in an editorial later claimed that no public health nurses would be laid off due to the vetoes. What he didn’t mention was agency has extreme staffing problems with as much as a 30% vacancy rate when the pandemic started, according to the budget documents.
$1,100 PFD emerges after bitter fight in the House
“Something is not a compromise merely because one says it’s a compromise,” said Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage.
PFD will be delayed as legislators, governor angle for leverage
It’s likely that this whole thing could end up in the court again while Alaskans are left waiting for resolution.
Budget, PFD stall as House GOP minority makes one last push for big payout
“This is way beneath Alaskan standards,” said House Speaker Louise Stutes.
With little pushback from legislators, House Finance Committee approves $1,100 PFD
“There’s certainly a lot to talk about if needed but if not that’s fine,” Wool said before the committee held the vote on the measure.
Court ruling could have doubled this year’s PFD… if Dunleavy hadn’t already vetoed it
In a deeply wonky combination of last-minute maneuvering and a recent ruling, there would have been nearly twice as much money available for this year’s dividend. It would have been $1,025 instead of the $525. Right now, though, it’s zero.