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.
The Alaska Legislature failed to pass legislation requiring the state to sell assets in Russia.
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.
Conservatives supporting the spending say it’s all fine because no one’s been following the rules anyways.
Within 30 minutes of the announcement, former Gov. Bill Walker endorsed the plan.
She implored legislators to be proactive about attaining the additional funds that will be available through grants on everything from improving broadband access to upgrading water infrastructure.
While Dunleavy has generally voiced support for the scholarships themselves, he’ll have the final say on whether the scholarship program lives or dies as long as he’s in office.
“It’s all just discretionary. It’s all just words. The Legislature can honor it or not honor if it wants. It’s not like signing a contract with a contractor,” argued the state’s attorney. “It’s not the same thing at all.”
ork in understanding the budget, they plan to cut through the election-year rhetoric to understand what’s really going on once you take off the rose-colored glasses.
The comments mark the first time that Rodell has spoken publicly about the firing, which took many by surprise given the fund’s strong performance under her management. Rodell’s accusations that politics had something to do with her firing aligns with much of the chatter about the abrupt firing. There’s been broad bipartisan interest in the Legislature to get to the bottom of the firing, which includes am Alaska Legislative and Budget Committee hearing planned for next Monday, the day before the start of the 2022 legislative session.