Governor calls Special Session 4

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Gov. Mike Dunleavy did not veto the partial Permanent Fund dividend passed by the Legislature on Tuesday, but he called for a fourth special session to deal with the rest of the PFD and to solve the state’s fiscal problems. That special session starts on Oct. 1.

“In a year when the Alaska Permanent Fund earned almost $20 billion, and the total value of the fund exceeds $83 billion, there are members of the legislature that would love to eliminate the PFD, and grow government, regardless of the harm it would cause Alaskans. Our state is still dealing with the economic ramifications of this virus, the distractions of employment issues, the lack of available workers and the disruptions to the supply chains. While we continue to debate the fiscal future of this state, the people of Alaska need help now,” he said. 

But the Legislature took $4 billion of those earnings and popped it into the principle of the Permanent Fund, which cannot be touched.

What became evident on Tuesday is that there are enough legislators who simply don’t believe in a full statutory Permanent Fund dividend, and there were others who thought the governor would veto the dividend again, as he did when the Legislature passed a $525 dividend, and were gambling that a zero dividend would then hang around the governor’s neck as he goes into an election year.

But Gov. Dunleavy surprised them when he decided to not veto the partial dividend, but instead take the deal, and then bring them back to finish the job.

33 COMMENTS

  1. It looks like the governor is learning to survive all of the roadblocks that the legislature throws at him. He still wants a fiscal plan and will not give up on his 50-50 plan. good for him. Leadership is not about shouting all the time but many times is more about just staying your course no matter what. So we will see where the 4th session goes. It’s hard to compromise when some in the legislature will not treat the special sessions with respect and instead opt out of most of the meetings. At least Dunleavy is not taking no for an answer.

  2. I wish politicians would put this much attention and effort into eradicating critical race theory and saving our institutions from destruction by left. Pretty sure if the Chinese invaded us the first thing legislators would is ask “is People’s Liberation Army going to honor the PFD?”

  3. Thanks Governor Mike, I appreciate the effort, but the bums will just gavel in and gavel out without taking care of the people’s business. They don’t respect the people, not even their own constituents, and they don’t respect the statutory PFD or any other part of the law. Shame on them! Thieves – that includes you helicopter hair, you whose privilege awards you the “right” to call us greedy and entitled… But then again, you don’t likely live on a budget, much less know how to formulate one. The lot of you who voted to steal the statutory PFD are really worthy of the disrespect this State has for you.

  4. I just want the PFD to no longer be a part of politics. Remove it from the hands of politicians and remove the chances of it being a band aid solution to state budget issues…. permanently. Government agencies and politicians need to learn how to keep a balanced budget. And voters need to quit voting based on the PFD. It’s a huge distraction every single election. I think both sides of the aisle can agree on that.

    • It was Gov. Bill Walker who put the PFD in the hands of our legislators. He is running for Governor again. Move your wants forward by actively campaigning against him. Just say “No” to Bill.

  5. This is beyond belief. No PFD for the peasants although it belongs to them. But they are collecting thousands of dollars in special session after special session. When you don’t think it can get worse in Juneau…it does!!

  6. So once again, the Cowardly Lion caves to the legislature. What a joke.

    He was DOA the moment he let them off the hook in Wasilla. Even since then the legislature has known he has no spine and used him like a rented mule.

    Done-leavy can call all the sessions he wants. It’s pointless. He’s beaten and the whole state knows it. Standing tall never looked so small.

    Save us all the embarrassment and resign.

  7. I had doubts about Governor Dunleavy but he has proven to be for the people and not the greedy power money seeking state government. When I think of what I need from the state government, I cannot think of much. The state already gets money from the fund yet they want more. Cut more from the state budget. Message to the legislature, we will vote those that seek to break into the peoples bank account out.

  8. I am for smaller government spending, no taxes and no PFD. Ideally, Alaska’s government should be funded 100% from a portion of the PF’s earnings. That should be the constitutional amendment.

    • Hear, Hear! No PFD, and at least 15% of the current population will leave, and it will be the precise people we need gone. And no state taxes, which is the state helping itself to my assets to transfer to people who refuse to produce.

      • Don’t make stupid remarks. The first thing that needs cutting is the department of health and human services. Second make the countries laziest state employees actually work by cutting their numbers and increase their work load. Since when was having govt jobs out paying private sector ever been a good idea? No one is calling for cuts to emergency services. Go by a DOT construction and count how many state employees are watching the actual workers working. Oh wait you can’t, you don’t live here

        • What State positions out pay the private sector? I looked at a state position in my field not to long ago and it paid substantially less than what the going rate in private industry is.

      • We’re already down to defending ourselves from criminals, and even if police catch them, the courts prosecute them, and corrections jail them, the system releases them early. Fires? I buy insurance. Besides, look at the budget; the vast majority of it is “education” (as much babysitting and indoctrination as true education) and transfer payments. Despite being a land grant university system, the University of Alaska gives land away to the Nature Conservancy, then commands an average of 17% of the general budget each year. The best way to heel government is to starve it…….or kill it.

  9. I believe in a full statutory PFD but I do not believe in taking more than the statutory amount out of the Permanent Fund – not this year, not ever. Those two beliefs are easily reconcilable! Had the Donna Arduin vetoes and budgeting improvements stuck we would not only be able to afford both statutes for fiscal year 2022 but we would today have more money in the Permanent Fund to boot! And those vetoes did not nearly reach the budget reduction Governor Dunleavy described when he ran for office in 2018. With supplemental spending and various other subterfuges that have become routine the 2022 budget, which is now almost one-quarter spent on the calendar, will be about $17,000 per Alaskan (over $80,000 for a family of five if you like), and that is on top of the incredible amount of federal spending here not coming through the state government (such as the Juneau city grant to give drag queen lessons). Surely we can reduce spending enough to afford a statutory PFD without drawing an unsustainable percentage out of the Permanent Fund. And let’s look at dividing the statutory Permanent Fund take 50-50 between state government and Alaskans, allowing government to stick to a budget just as the rest of us must. Is there anyone who disagrees with this arithmetic?

    • Kubota2 I attended two separate gubernatorial debates during the last election cycle and I can assure you Dunleavy never articulated what cuts he was going to make. In fact, when put on the spot he actually stated that he believed the price of oil would increase, new oil finds would come online and cuts would most likely not be needed. In those debates he was never the smartest guy in the room and that was glaringly obvious. His reign as the head of this State is as I expected after watching those debates, lackluster and full of incompetence.

  10. To the Governor:
    .
    You are trying to play the game with a Legislature full of hypocrites. Even though a veto on the $1100 would have been hung on your political neck next year in time for the corrupt, disgraced Bill Walker to find another opportunity to make a comeback, your original message would have been clear with a veto. Now, you have further muddied the waters with a 4th special session. Your loyal constituents think you have buckled to the Democrats and their ally RINOs.
    .
    What does this really get you? Not much! The Legislators will get more per diem in their pockets. Their votes will not change. You will be stuck with the $1100 payout, and the disgraceful Bill Walker will call you spineless in his attempt to capture your voters.
    .
    I will vote for you again, but I’m afraid you are going to lose some of your following. The majority of Alaskans are still looking for a real leader and there is none to be found. We were counting on you, Big Guy. What happened to Walking Tall for Alaska?

  11. So where is this vaunted 4th session? Juneau?? Again?? More and more I am getting the impression that they futz about to make up for the loss of tourism dollars Juneau experiences. Move the session to Anchorage or Fairbanks, so that ALL legislators can participate. Return to the statutory formula, rescind SB 26 and the POMV and make the state budget properly instead of acting like it is just “funny money”. I know, I know one can dream, with arrogant twits like Fields, Van Imhofe, Stedman and Edgmon along with their inept and hostile leader Stutes, all hiding out in Juneau and making grand pronouncements, we regular Alaskans, whose money it really is don’t get a say.

  12. I am amazed but not surprised at the number of people cheerleadering this failure of a governor.

    Yay Mike, go Mike, fight for us Mike. What has he actually done? Lost the PFD because he refused to play hardball with a group of thugs. More, almost every gain he made he gave back. Every thing he suggests the legislature slaps down because he’s weak and they know it.

    It’s true he has had an unprecedented amount of opposition. Why? He’s weak and they know it.

    This is why the Alaska GOP is more useless than an a drunk moose. And more destructive. Because so many are happy to cheerlead losing instead of demanding winning

  13. After the goings-on in Juneau as of late I was just asking for the Governor to do 3 things today….
    1. Call a 4th session
    2. Call them to the road system
    3. Stand Tall for us with a decent PFD
    Well I guess 1 out of 3 is better than nothing. Big disappointment. How about a price freeze on necessities so we can afford to live here?

  14. In other news: Oil is trading above $70/bbl again. It hit its low in October 2020 below $36/bbl. It is at $72.64 at the moment. There is no need to ever raid the Permanent Fund above 5% POMV.
    Hang tight, and maintain discipline. There will be plenty of money to crap away again.

  15. Now is the time to actually call your State Government Officials that YOU elected and tell them to live up to the promises made to get where they are today.
    This is about taking control of Our State.
    I don’t need to name names here, State Government is bloated beyond capacity! We can’t and won’t let them rob the PFD to pay for their lack of revenue.

  16. Incestuous relationships going on here
    Gene pool too small! Uncles, cousins, aunts, grandma and grandpa and grandkids fighting at the Juneau resort! Uncle Mike needs to lead but unfortunately he has no clue or will to!
    We’d be farther ahead if these idiots would get in the hot tub together and spread a disease to each other and send them home sick

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