Gov. Mike Dunleavy introduced a budget bill Thursday to provide for a $2,350 Permanent Fund Dividend and fully fund Alaska’s student scholarship programs.
Following the release of the legislative Fiscal Policy Working Group’s report, and conversations between the Dunleavy administration and legislative leadership about their interest in working toward a long-term fiscal solution this session, the governor took action to amend the call of the third legislative special session by including this funding vehicle.
Some in the Legislature had threatened to walk out of the special session unless there was an appropriation bill.
The budget bill includes appropriations to help the legislature finalize a structured fiscal solution for Alaska, provide Alaskans with an equitable distribution of the state’s resource wealth, and fully fund student scholarship programs:
- $1.53 billion for the payment of the 2021 PFD, providing an estimated $2,350 per eligible Alaskan
- $11.7 million to Alaska Performance Scholarship Awards
- $6.4 million to Alaska Education Grants
- $3.3 million to WWAMI Medical Education
- $1.47 billion one-time transfer from the earnings reserve account to the constitutional budget reserve
The state’s scholarship programs and the Power Cost Equalization Endowment Fund were two components of the budget process that failed to pass the legislature earlier this year.
Governor thanks Fiscal Policy Working Group
Earlier this week, the legislative Fiscal Policy Working Group released their report, which dentified several solutions including: constitutionally protecting the Permanent Fund Dividend, allocating 50% of the annual Permanent Fund earnings draw to pay dividends, establishing an enforceable government spending limit, and leveraging a small portion of the Permanent Fund’s earnings windfall as one-time bridge funding to implement a comprehensive fiscal solution.
“I want to thank the Fiscal Policy Working Group for their dedication and hard work over the past six weeks. They had a difficult assignment and a very compressed timeline in which to work. I’m impressed with the thoughtful solutions the members have put forward for legislative consideration and it provides an excellent launching point for this special session,” said Gov. Dunleavy. “In my meeting with the four legislative caucus leaders yesterday, everyone agreed that we must take action this session to resolve these issues for the long-term.”
The governor’s budget bill is a at this link.
Seems reasonable given the fact that the principal on the fund increased over $14 billion within the last year. Hopefully the carrot of tying it to the scholarship funding will help get a few Dems onboard.
Many Alaskans with small businesses can use this money after the last two poor tourism summers in AK.
So what is going to happen to the PCE program?
It was held harmless by the court. -sd
Now let’s watch as the Imhoff/Rasmussen group and the other big business and “non profit” grifters, who sponge up the largess, set their bought and paid for “legislators” out to whittle this PFD down to nothing again.. if you haven’t figured it out yet, these people hate you. Whatever you think of Dunleavy, he’s the only one decades who actually even attempted to fight for us. The rest of this group wants you as permanent serfs and think they OWN the state, and you along with it..
Spot on.
It’s not about getting the money from a PFD, it’s about keeping the money away from the legislature. End stop. End of story. Don’t let the legislature decide a PFD and taxes are the new normal.
Governor Dunleavy is working with a corrupt legislature, who can’t even follow the laws of its predecessors, to possibly put up a fight to give the full amount. 2350 is generous. But! The legislature won’t be following their predecessors own law. The PFD is supposed to be 3600. The legislatures and Courts must start following their own laws before the rich see anarchy and lose control over the people due to the unchristian people just throw up their hands and no longer care to follow the laws after watching our authorities don’t follow laws.
We continue allowing our American legislative bodies get away not following the laws, eventually we end up serving a “Taliban.”
If they don’t approve, Give them SAME TREATMENT ..Like Gov Abbot did to his Senators. AND BAR them from traveling out of state.
I agree- Dunleavy is making them do the work they were supposed to be doing. I don’t fault him, just the lazy legislators wasting time giving themselves pay raises.
I’ll believe when I see it. Dems love taking other peoples’ money and spending it. Here in Juneau we’re being told the huge earnings are a fallacy, we shouldn’t touch the PF, and we need a state income tax (while they jack up tax assessments on our real estate).
There is a statute on the books for them to obey. If they don’t like their employer, the people of Alaska and don’t want to support their property right to statutory defined recompense for taken mineral rights and right to private wealth then these people are not behaving as OUR representatives. They are relying on their various hearts rather than our statute they said by oath to obey in their emoluments. They are public servants who have cost us too much of our money and should be replaced at next opportunity.
If Dunleavy had any spine at all he would let the legislature know if he doesn’t get the bill he wants the next session -and all those after- will be in Adak.
But Dunleavy has no spine.
That’s all my vote is worth 2350?
Couple years ago it was worth 6700.
My how times have changed. I thought Dunleavy would adjust up due to inflation.
The special two sessions all ready held by this legislature has costs AK over $900,000. Another $450,000 wasted dollars for this session and they have lined their own pockets with more money than they are willing to pay all Alaskans for the Governor’s requested PFD. All wasted dollars because they couldn’t do the job! They are Constitutional required to pass a budget during the regular session. They can’t do that or comply with session limits passed by their voters. If they fail again to Constitutional establish a realistic budget program and give the people a chance to vote on Constitutional Budget Limits and a Constitutional PFD of no less than the current statute requires. It is time to recall them and any that survive a recall should be voted out for failure to perform their duties and wasting State funds to enrich themselves. That is every legislator that fails to vote for the above. Their are a few from both parties that have tried hard but are prevented by the greedy catering to their lobbyists and special interests that line their pockets. Even when the adopt ethics rules of no per diem if no budget is passed in 60 days they ignore that a retroactively line their pockets after they pass a budget beyond their own limits. They should consider the ethics and example they set for all Alaskans concerning following the laws and regulations set by the State when they are such poor examples.
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