What’s at stake?
And whoever wins on Tuesday (when the RCV votes are tabulated three weeks from then) will face the tall task of making Alaska into more than just “America’s natural resources warehouse.”
the budget
Dunleavy admin takes new shot at university scholarship fund despite protections he signed
Just days after signing a bill that the courts said would provide certainty for the state’s scholarship program, the Dunleavy administration is asking the fund be left in limbo.
Looming school closures expose the reality of a ‘balanced budget’
And as if to put a fine point on the reality of budget cuts, these cuts will impact low-income families more than others. All but one of the targeted schools are Title I, meaning they have a larger proportion of students who are eligible for free and reduced lunches.
Investigation into firing of Permanent Fund CEO Angela Rodell ‘nearly finished’
A hard deadline for the investigation to be completed or released publicly has not been announced.
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. posts negative returns for first time since 2012
There’s no immediate effect on state finances, but continued losses would reduce available cash for services and dividends.
Dunleavy signs budget with $400 million in vetoes that critics say are telling
To opponents, the vetoes targeting of schools, the University of Alaska, child care, workforce development and seniors was evidence that not everything has changed over the last four years.
Alaska still holds millions of dollars in Russian investments
The Alaska Legislature failed to pass legislation requiring the state to sell assets in Russia.
$3,850 payout—split between PFD and energy rebate—emerges from budget negotiations
The budget links $650 of the payment to a critical vote that has been impossible to secure in recent years: accessing the constitutional budget reserve.
Senate passes largest* budget in state history, relying on high oil prices and draw on savings
Conservatives supporting the spending say it’s all fine because no one’s been following the rules anyways.
House Coalition announces plans for one-time $1,300 ‘Energy Relief Check’ on top of PFD
Within 30 minutes of the announcement, former Gov. Bill Walker endorsed the plan.