“We spent the last month working, in good faith, to build consensus and find a path forward.” – Rep. Kevin McCabe, Big Lake
The Alaska House Republicans said today that, like others in the Legislature, they are disappointment at the lack of progress since returning to the Capitol on Monday for the third special session of the year.
The House held a brief floor session Monday morning, and the Fiscal Policy Working Group released its report outlining recommendations for a comprehensive fiscal plan. Multiple recommendations were unanimously agreed upon by the bipartisan, bicameral Working Group, among which included constitutionalizing a dividend and an improved spending limit.
Read: Can third special session finally fix problem left by Bill Walker?
Thursday’s House floor session was canceled again with no explanation, the minority Republicans said.
Several House and Senate members traveled to Kenai on Tuesday and Wednesday to take part in the Kenai Classics, a fundraiser for the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, which ends Friday.
“We spent the last month working, in good faith, to build consensus and find a path forward. With the huge amount of public testimony and emails in support of our work, that outlined clear direction from Alaskans, the lack of movement is perplexing,” said Rep. Kevin McCabe of Big Lake. Rep. McCabe was one of the members of the working group.
Another member of the working group, Rep. Ben Carpenter of Nikiski, said, “The Group’s report stated ‘FPWG members do not support addressing only one or two issues to the exclusion of others. There is a suite of legislation, covered under the call that can immediately be considered, consistent with the Working Group’s recommendations that have not been acted upon since we started business on Monday. Why not?”
On Tuesday evening, the four caucus leaders (Senate President Peter Micciche, Sen. Tom Begich, Speaker Louise Stutes and Rep. Cathy Tilton) met with Gov. Mike Dunleavy with the intention of working together to negotiate how this year’s third special session can move forward.
Minority Leader Rep. Cathy Tilton of Chugiak-MatSu said the talks were positive and encouraging. “Scheduling and hearing measures consistent with recommendations of the Working Group demonstrates ongoing good faith that gets us closer to a comprehensive plan. I hope House Majority leadership will take meaningful action soon.”
One area of progress may be noted, in that the House and Senate did not hold a floor session to override the governor’s vetoes. Leaders are expecting him to provide some appropriation bills to cover the programs that are, for the time being, cut.
Read: The $525 dividend — what is it worth in 1984 dollars?
The Fiscal Policy Working Group report is here:
Time for a complete forensic audit on November Election! We the People demand the truth. If there was no election fraud let’s prove it! Dark money has too much influence in Alaska. You can see it playing out before your eyes, just open them!
We could really appreciate the full PFD statute dividend of $3600 after what our governments put us through last year.
They’re unsatisfied? Try being part of the public you’re screwing over.
Most of us are unsatisfied with the GOP.
We HAVE some house republicans?
That’s what they say. Next time, when the current majority caucus collapses, just enough of these “Republicans” will turn Democrat to give the communists control
From the report: The FPWG recommends the legislature consider additional annual revenues, working towards revenues on the order of $500-$775 million, as a part of a comprehensive solution.
Though the FPWG was not able to make a specific recommendation for type of revenue, the FPWG generally recommends adoption of a broad-based revenue measure, in addition to other revenue measures, as a part of a comprehensive solution.
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Let me translate…taxes.
Prepare for a suite of new taxes to be presented for us to choose from with dire warnings of fiscal collapse if all the working people don’t pitch in to “pay our fair share.”
Here’s an alternative to “new revenues”…cut the state budget back to essential services.
Eliminate the fluff.
Eliminate the social welfare programs that encourage the non-productive to move here or stay here.
Essential services that benefit the people who are paying for it.
Everyone else can go without their free rides taken at our expense.
No state income tax…no state sales tax…no additional taxes.
As a common peasant, I learned long ago that the “royal” club of politicians have long outgrown their usefulness.
It is time for the people to take their power back.
Things must not be going well for them to be whining to the public thinking somehow this will get their fat out of the fire. Crybabies IMO!
We (respectfully) call Bullsh… (hey!).
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To House Republicans who say they’re unsatisfied with lack of progress in third special session, we say… you damned fearmaskers are way too afraid of The Stutes to be useful to productive Alaskans.
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The Stutes gonna bench your cowardly asses, stop you from Getting Money so life’s all about piling up a garbage heap of excuses topped by a dollop of dissatifaction with your Democrat masters and lobbyist teammates?
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On top of all the other sh…(hey!) rolling downhill, productive Alaskans don’t need your lousy rotten excuses… why you just can’t seem to improvise, adapt, overcome… why you can’t, or won’t do whatever the hell you gotta do to stop our Alaska’s slide back into the primordial Democrat ooze!.
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Think “Rules For Radicals” is for Democrats only, your pathetic lot’s just too nice, too collegial to do to the baby-killing, country-killing bast…(hey!) what they’re doing to you… and, oh by the way, to us?
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Either get busy or get out, but stop with the excuses… makes you look weak, very Biden-like.
You’re right ! The wimpy Minority and the “Big Tall Dummy” must use the cards they have to force actual negotiations ! Otherwise they will fail yet again and hope that no one notices ! But Alaskans are figuring it out !
I want to thank all of the above for their comments. It’s great to know I am not alone. To all the voters in Districts 8, 9, 11, and 12 these house members are totally useless. To paraphrase Mark Twain, with friends like this you don’t need enemies.
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