Three missing Republican House members was all it took for the Alaska House Democrats to take advantage of the situation and pass an amendment to the state operating budget that stripped over $1,900 from every Alaskan’s full Permanent Fund dividends.
The House Democrat-run majority, with two Republicans who belong to it, knew there were three Republicans who would missing on Friday afternoon, and so held the budget question until later in the day, and also made sure all Democrats were not on planes out of Juneau. Every single Democrat was present.
Missing were Republican Rep. Elexie Moore, Rep. Mike Prax, and Rep. Will Stapp, all who might have voted no. All three had excused absences, which gave Democrats the small window needed to shrink the PFD.
The amendment passed 20-17. They were able to pass with the majority of those present, not the full majority. Being absent is essentially a “no” vote.
For several weeks, the House has had “No-Floor Fridays,” which is a phrase for not having any bills for consideration. But this Friday was different. A full slate of bills was on the calendar, including, quite surprisingly, the operating budget, which had passed from the Finance Committee. The two rural Democrats on the Finance Committee were not in agreement to cut the PFD, and so because of errors made by Finance Chair Rep. Andy Josephson, the full dividend was in the final package.
The Democrats sat on the budget and then sprang into action with one amendment on Friday, with the knowledge the Republicans were short a few members.
Speaker Bryce Edgmon had already promised there would be no amendments to the operating budget until Monday, and then he went back on his word. Amendment No. 1 was the reduced PFD, and it was packaged and ready to go.
The House Democrat majority, in a press release, called it an “affordable and sustainable PFD of approximately $1,400.”
In actuality, that means the annual dividend paid to Alaskans as their share of oil will be used instead to pay for a $1,000 increase to the base per-student funding for school districts, which had already passed the House and Senate, but which the governor says he will veto. Proponents of the larger school budget say that schools are dealing with inflation, meaning they cost more to run.
Unacknowledged by those small-dividend proponents is that Alaskans, too, have been dealing with inflation, and that a tax on the dividend hurts the poorest Alaskans the most.
But the spin from the House Democrat-led majority was to blame it on the Republicans:
“The intention was to wait until Monday to begin the amendment process as would normally occur. However, after the events last night in the House Finance Committee made painfully clear, any attempts at finding middle ground would continue to come up short. With that in mind, it became clear that it was the only path forward to maintain funding for essential services, provide for a meaningful permanent BSA increase, and a healthy but sustainable PFD for Alaskans,” the Democrat-led majority wrote in a press release.
In the end, the Democrats cleverly outsmarted the Republican minority. Not a single Democrat left Juneau on Friday afternoon’s flight, because there was a game afoot, and they knew three missing Republicans were all they needed to shrink the dividend, rather than shrink the government.
Rep. Jamie Allard of Eagle River explained it well in a post on X: “Tonight on the House floor it was a contentious political maneuver by the Democrats to take the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD). The Democrat Majority in the House went back on their word to delay amendments until Monday, they cut the dividend by more than 25%. As a member of House Finance Committee, their own Democrat members wouldn’t pass it out of finance. This was timed strategically to exploit the absence of several Republican Minority members who were excused. Thank you Representative Neal Foster for voting No to NOT reduce the PFD.”
The governor cannot add funds back to the reduced Permanent Fund dividend. By law, he is only allowed to veto, but cannot add funding that the Legislature cuts.
Alaska has chosen public sector unions over a PFD. It is that simple.
Slight correction. They have chosen unions over Alaskans.
Unions are the reason manufacturing was moved overseas. Unions have done more harm than good for Americans. They started out with a noble cause, but got greedy and we are paying the price.
And how much will still need to come from the ever-smaller Constitutional Budget Reserve fund under this scenario?
Shameful how MRAK indirectly attacks Alaska’s schoolchildren by setting readers against an increase in the per-student allotment. I guess new snow machines, big screens, and firearms are more important in MAGA circles…
The BSA increase will do nothing to help school children. Our education budget is already bloated its obviously wasted. Increased funding does not mean increased results. If it did we should be number 1 in the country based on how much we spend!
From a retired person who only watches MSNBC with absolutely no idea on what is going on. With two kids in Middle School in Anchorage, I can tell you that there is so much waste and also lack of any controls. My kid’s teachers are out of school so many times. They also make the kids watch 10 minute CNN newscasts while telling them why Trump is so terrible.
When the math teacher is out, which is frequent, the sub has no idea of basic math so the kids don’t do anything. My kid is getting an A because she does the work. The others have no clue because of the lack of help from the teacher who is hardly there. Yesterday, the social studies teacher was out so the school put that whole class with home education class. They came home knowing how to crochet. Two classes in one room.
The PE teachers sit drinking coffee and don’t assign any activities. They let the kids do whatever they want like recess. One of my kids was marked absent because they have to sign in after running the 1 mile course and forgot. The teachers can’t even be out on the track to see the students running and track them and give encouragement. Most of the girls do even run that day so they get a C.
I volunteer an afterschool sport as the coach which is non-paid. I am ok with that. The teachers who do this are paid a good premium to do the same thing. These paid coaches sometimes have no clue on how the sport is played but are taking the money. The school charges for after school sports so it is hard to see why they want to cut sports when each kid has to pay $120 each to participate. That money now goes away.
There were 7 fights in the last three days and one of the students who was involved in two of these fights was at school yesterday. No punishment. Of course this child is of color. The school still acknowledges we are on Eskimo land every day. DEI is alive and kicking.
My kids say each has only one teacher who really seems to care.
Yes, the governor should sign this extra money with no conditions as I think the ASD school district is doing a great job.(sarcasm to the left so they don’t agree.)
Bring back the school tax, make it part of pick click give if parents claim they can’t afford it. $250 per student.
Try living in one of the villages and you might understand why a full PFD is needed. No. You will never understand.
You are right, we don’t understand it was never established to fund the government. That is strictly for the people not so they can take it from the people. Not everyone has kids who are in school so why should it go to something that doesn’t benefit everyone?
Every year you take more and more until there won’t be a PFD. That’s nothing but theft.
Schools have less attending these days because people don’t want their kids to be registered as a girl/boy and come out as a it or thinking they are a cat.
This woke crap needs to stop and schools are teaching kids to hate. School system sucks kids don’t even like to go. It’s a joke. Kids are better off getting their GED and be out of the system and off to college before their own class graduates. They have no right brainwashing our kids to hate and mislead kids to this woke crap. Schools were designed to teach not hate and be bias to the lies of the Democratic party’s. Defend the schools until our kids can prove they are actually leaving smarter and can bring up their test scores. Kids are coming out of school and they are BIG DUMMIES! They don’t want to work and if they do get a job that makes them work they only last a couple days then quit. They don’t want to work. So what’s that teaching our kids. I’m surprised they graduate knowing how to tie their own shoes.
Please detail for me how increasing the money sent to failing schools to prop up the teachers union will magically make them functional. I’ll wait.
Whidbey, What good has increasing the BSA done in the past 10 years? Have test scores improved? Is there any measurable good that has come from repeatedly throwing money to the teachers union in the form of an increased BSA? Although it is painfully obvious that you lack real life business savvy, surely even you in your personal life stop throwing good money at repeated problems without actually trying to solve the problem. The one thing that is for absolute certain here is that throwing more money at the BSA has not brought any measurable results to the students.
Some of us use the PFD to (help- it costs a lot more) pay for an actual education for our children. But of course the legislature doesn’t think parents know anything about what their kids need.
Well Mr Dog, apparently all the flea bites have driven you crazy.
Agree Willy
More like fuel oil, snow tires, home/vehicle repairs, and paying down debts.
That might be what you used your dividend for. We used ours for facilitating home school, private school and college for our children. Oh, and that’s how we could finally buy snow tires.
Well, snow machines, big screens, and firearms consistently show results.
Unlike the overfunded, bloated, ineffective, NEA union industrial complex.
Tell you what, Whidbey.
If you can let us all know what the per student allotment was a few decades ago, compared to now, that would be helpful.
While you are doing that, also let us know the student performance levels over the same period of time. Things like reading at grade level, stuff like that. OK?
Now compare that cost against homeschooled children and their performance levels.
.
Maybe, the problem is not money. I know dedicated leftists such as your self always think throwing more and more taxpayer dollars at a problem is the solution, but as a general rule, it only wastes taxpayer dollars.
Democrats and RINO’s are the main reason for over spending and bloated budgets with no way to pay for them in government. Alaskans need to wake up, get off their butts, and vote these state and city destroyers out of office before it’s too late. Alaskans need to actually be engaged on what is going on and not just be sheeple. The NEA has destroyed the public schools and administrators account for most of the operating budget. Teachers act like pawns for their unions, dress up and show up when told to go protest. Now we are having students protesting money decisions with the help of teachers not planning class work. Fire the lot and privatize the schools, half the price of public schools with better educations.
Ever since this state mistakenly thought Walker was an “independent” who got the camels nose under the tent, taking the first 50% of the dividend, we’ve been losing more and more. I’ve been saying that this legislature will be the one to finally get the rest. What’s sad is that the voters must be happy with it because they keep sending lawmakers to Juneau who continue to take. Perhaps when the VERY SOON income tax arrives they’ll wise up.
“……..Perhaps when the VERY SOON income tax arrives they’ll wise up……….”
I wised up decades ago. It will be a dividend AND and an income tax so that “the poorest Alaskans” get double the benefit while the rest get robbed.
Hallmarks of the modern Democrats: lying, cheating, and stealing- all for a ‘big government’ agenda that only a small, radical minority supports!
So at this critical time in the states budgeting process, understanding that the dems are trying everything to force their agenda through, Reps from Wasilla and Fairbanks just had to get home and couldn’t stay to do their job as elected Representatives which sets up this rushed opportunistic vote. It’s no wonder we are losing our state to the libs and dems, it seems like we literally search out opportunities to fail.
And yet, all these bas—– keep getting reelected?
Its a pretty simple accounting. When we didn’t give away our oil, we got full dividends. Now that we give away our oil, our dividends have been drastically reduced. Its now cost a family of four $60,000 dollars. With the 2025 reduced dividend, that figure will be closer to $66,000.00
If we cut spending by reducing the “credits” aka corporate welfare to the very profitable oil corporations, we’d be in a much better place fiscally.
Full disclosure, I own oil company stocks, and I oppose welfare.
Why do you support unsustainable unaccountable big government spending?
Give us your budget cuts, be specific. I’ve asked you to do this before, and you refuse.
The dividend program will be going away because of our corporate welfare to Big Oil. Because we give away our oil the Permanent Fund is now the largest source of funding for the budget. Soon, dividends are going go away because we can’t give away our oil and use the Permanent Fund on this basis.
There are some in the legislature that want an income and sales tax so we can provide additional funding- directly from citizens- to subsidize the givaway of our oil. I’d rather we get a fair return for our oil, like we used to. You like Trumps’s massive tax increase, so you probably will like an income tax, and sales tax, too.
M,
Respectfully, nothing that you wrote here explains why you support unsustainable unaccountable big government spending it only excuses it.
Regarding your attempt to change the subject and what cuts I would make; you as a self proclaimed fiscal conservative, should know that specifically I would cut everything and I would certainly not be adding unsustainable and unaccountable spending.
I do appreciate that you’ve stopped repeating the incorrect leftist talking point that tariffs are a sales tax.
Your ability to offer coherent arguments is pretty bad. Read above. I oppose welfare, whether it be for ConocoPhillps, or people who refuse to get a job. Those cuts would save us over one billion per year.
You wrote, “…specifically I would cut everything…” then its good to know you support cutting corporate welfare.
Too bad you don’t support funding for Troopers.
And the question remains. Why do you support unsustainable unaccountable big government spending?
Welfare is what the state will be paying if they keep cutting PFDs.
Thank you, M, for the truth. I would like to see a list comparing Alaska to several other oil owners, other countries, detailing how much money the owners earn per barrel and how much money the oil companies earn per barrel. Then Alaskans would see that we are being robbed. Nobody would dare publish that information.
“…….. I would like to see a list……….”
There are loads of lists I’d like to see. I can provide very short one for you right here:
The number of Albertans (in a very socialist nation) who get a dividend:
0
“…….Its a pretty simple accounting………”
And you are obviously not an accountant.
Since there are no political consequences for legislators that vote to shrink your permanent fund dividend (PFD), you get a defacto “tax” on your PFD this year (again). Enjoy the leftover crumbs they deem worthy to pass on to you.
Don’t forget to include Stedman and Giessel , they sell us down the river every chance they get, Public office must be very profitable. Some up and coming journalist should do some digging on those two and show voters who they are really working for
Legislators don’t have to follow the law like the rest of us do. It’s time for us to point out that by passing a budget that isn’t balanced is “illegal.” Someday we citizens need to hold our elected officials accountable!
Pick, click and take.
Our legislators feel immune to answering to the uninformed Alaskan public. The people are losing their state and only a very small percentage actually care. If you think 65% of the rep’,s and senators care about the average working class you are wrong. I still blame the Alaskan GOP for the mess in Juneau, for their lack of leadership. They have no plan and zero control over the party. The three “republicans” couldn’t wait one day and do the peoples work. The legislators need to e moved to southcentral Alaska so we can be more involved!
A thousand bucks from every eligible Alaskans PFD will now go into the chubby mitts of Alaska school teachers! It is beyond disgusting!
The story reported that the absence of Republicans Elexie Moore, Mike Prax, and Will Stapp allowed the democrats to prevail with their travesty budget. The story also reported the absences of these three were excused. That raises the questions excused by whom and why? In my opinion that is inexcusable! Barring a death in the family or a critical illness there is not an excuse for these absences. They ran for election because they said they would represent their constituents. Well, they did not do that and they let the entire state down.
This is completely unacceptable….Governor Dunleavy needs to deal with it!
Big Mike has no political future unless he steps up bigly and starts to “stand tall” for Alaska.
Why are Prax and Stapp even leaving Juneau this close to the end of session? Don’t they know the game the Democrats play?. Prax needs to be replaced as well as Stapp. Both a couple of nincompoops who just don’t get it.
People barking for their “full check” from the Government can’t seem to do basic math. When asked how do we afford it, they say “cut cut cut everything until I get my check.” When asked what specifically should be cut that adds up to the necessary amount, they cannot answer. It often leads to “well then I’m okay with new taxes if it means I get my full check”. I understand this viewpoint from libs, those people are sick in the head, but it’s confounding from conservatives.
I don’t think that’s outsmarting . I think it’s underhanded move by the left . Poor sportsmanship . Funding one of the worst school systems in the entire US . Ranks 49 of 50 . I would expect no less out of the antics in Juneau . In the cover of darkness , snuck another one in . Shame on all of them ! Crooks
Hey, ho, hey, ho, Bryce Edgmon has got to go!
CRIMINALS!!! Pure and simple this is their manner of governing!! They are sneaky, liars and as corrupt as they come in order to STEAL from those less fortunate!
One thing is the state has to stop letting these so called legislators no one leaves Juneau until the budget is all done. If they cant stay for the so called 90 days they should not be in the legislator. So they are going to be there for 30 days past 90 days then they will have to have another special for 30 more days so they can each collect 30 more days tax free perdium for another 10K dollars more. Vote them all out of office start with Josephson.
I sincerely hope Dunleavy VETOS!
Alaskans should lobby the Governor to Veto this travesty of a bill. I don’t believe the Dems have a Veto proof majority.
My question is where were the 3 Republicans? Surely Republicans do not trust democrats and are aware of these type of tricks by them. Once again we were outsmarted.
Veto it Gov.
I distinctly recall a beautiful peice of journalism when Mary went to the bathroom and a vote was held. You all thumped her hard.
What was the excuse these three had?
democrats are acting like a bunch of spoiled brats fighting over an inheritance. Reminds me of a family of some sisters situation years ago.
Just raid the corpus and be done with it.
Edgmon told a fib? No! Can’t be.
I remember a bumper sticker: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance”.
Congrats Alaska. You’ve merged the two. The most expensive ignorance masking itself as education possible.
If you love your kids, go south. Alaska public education is child abuse.
Reminds me of an indigenous tribe of Papua New Guinia who’s highest value is to deceive and eat those from other villages. I guess such values are not just held by supposed lesser civilized societies.
I recommend the governor to veto the entire PFD for this year, stick it into the Constitutional Budget Reserve, and let the democrats explain that to their constituents.
“…….I recommend the governor to veto the entire PFD for this year, stick it into the Constitutional Budget Reserve…….”
hear! Hear! I second the recommendation!
“……..Unacknowledged by those small-dividend proponents is that Alaskans, too, have been dealing with inflation, and that a tax on the dividend hurts the poorest Alaskans the most……..”
As a zero-dividend proponent, I readily acknowledge all that, but simply reject it as a bleeding heart line of socialist BS usually fed to society by liberals, not conservatives. Next will come (and indeed is already widely demanded) the insistence that “the 1%” (meaning the middle class) must pay an income tax while the state continues to shower free money upon “the poorest Alaskans”.
Sell every stinking PFD investment, distribute the cash and end the money grab once and for all.
Directly stealing our money to pay their political allies and further their corruption of this beautiful state.
And we tolerate this?
I, for one, am shocked. Shocked, I tell you!
Time to end the socialism of a guaranteed basic income.
After reading the post by “Education Needs Reform” I will go back and repeat my recommendation that the first act should be to investigate where the education money is actually going. What is the distribution? If the school systems are top heavy in executive personnel and there are not enough teachers, then redistribute the money instead of throwing more down the black hole. Next, conduct a thorough review of the entire system to determine if the teachers are really doing their jobs before sending in more increases. Next, get the governor’s old PFD constitutional amendment proposal dusted off and put on the ballot, along with his constitutional amendment proposal to have Alaskans vote on any taxes. The legislature hid these when they first came in during his first year so Alaskans could not vote on their own future. Alaskans take back your state!
I SECOND THAT
Why does it surprise us that thieves are also liars?
Politicians who passed this…VOTE OUT! Dividends BELONG to the PEOPLE! Who have a CHOICE to pick, click, give if they CHOOSE to. Wake Up folks VOTE THEM OUT! Sick & Tired of this stealing The PEOPLES DIVIDEND.
VOTE these OUT!!!
They did this!
Carrick,Diebert,Edgmon,Eischeid,Fields,Galvin,Gray,Hall,Hannon,Himschoot,Holland,Jimmie,Josephson,Kopp,Mears,Mina,Schrage,Story,Stutes,Burke
REMEMBER VOTE THESE OUT! THEY DO NOT REPRESENT US!
Anchorage and the dems that they put in office are destroying the state with a few cowardly RINOs. The governor has gone over to the dark side pushing UN backed Environmental crap even after admitting that it is a hoax. Mean while plotting to put liquefied Carbon under our cook inlet fishery. When it leaks it will make the Exxon spill look like nothing. We have elected fools.
On April 2, 2025, I finally got around to mailing back my uncashed paper PFD check ($1702) back to the state. I was tempted to keep it, but decided to donate it to the state’s general fund, because the legislature has not replenished the state’s CBR savings account, after it was severely depleted by the crash of oil prices in 2014 and 2015. Yet, the law says it must be paid back.
Also, the state is facing a budget deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars, and it is very important to have a balanced budget.
I’d be delighted to vote them out. All of them. But who do I vote in? My only choice is to vote for an unknown in order to vote against an incumbent.
When are we going to get rid of the spendthrifts running this state? The democrats and rhinos need to be kicked out. We need a REAL Department of Government Efficiency for this state. (Not the satire site on facebook that doesn’t do anything but mock DOGE).
About time some in the legislature come to there senses lowering the PFD is the only sensible thing the legislature can do to meet the budget needs especially education and public safety. Good going Alaska State House, Hope the Senate and Governor follow up.
Here in Fairbanks Dibert and Kawasaki used money from “the swamp” and “Act Blue” which has been laundering money in our country. “Act Blue” and the DC swamp paid for Dibert and Kawasaki’s smear campaign. Otherwise, Republican Hajdukevich and Bart LeBon would be down there in Juneau representing the Interior instead of Dibert and Kawasaki. The smear tactics used were from “the swamp, Colorado and Switzerland. took place close to the election when there was no time for rebuttal. Dibert was committed to paying the unions for helping her win and did not believe there should not be a PFD for Alaskans. The universities trained Ashley Carrick, Dibert and other Marxist legislators who cheat as a means to an end. They would unlikely win on an even playing field. They do not find their lack of integrity to be a problem. Again, a different worldview than the Colonists brought with them to form a constitutional republic. Integrity was critical for those running for office. The churches emphasized the importance of Truthfulness. What we are watching in Juneau is Marxism at work through Marxist Obama’s 3 terms and his fellow Marxists’ curricula which came down through the Department of Education and unions. Marxists have a different worldview. They hate God, they hate the Constitution, they hate the second Amendment, they hate any form of capitalism and they do not understand or care how to budget or be fiscally responsible.
Scholar Dennis Prager talked about these leftists. They do not understand that THEY WORK FOR US. WE DO NOT WORK FOR THEM. They even hate themselves and they are the Dems who are defiant against Trump in the universities and schools here in Alaska. In “Star Wars” terms they claim to be the “resistance” but they are really “the death throes of the evil republic.” If you pray, pray for the return to using the Rule of Law and Ten Commandments that are in our criminal code. Pray that the judges return to using the original Constitution to make their adjudications. Pray to break the “judicial tyranny” in Alaska.
Thank you to Suzanne and staff for your accurate report of what dirty deals went on in Juneau.
STATUTORY FORMULA
It’s cute how everybody seems to think that the democrats pounced on something they didn’t know was already gonna happen. Okay, I’m sorry, but the republicans mo is to sit back and do nothing or to wait until the very last minute when they can’t do anything so 3 being absent, just magically when they knew there was a full slate of bills on the table to me says republicans don’t care any more than democrats do because it’s not coming out of their pocket. Honestly, what’s $1400 to them? What’s $3900 to them? Absolutely, nothing but to an Alaskan, who is struggling fourteen hundred dollars , is barely rent. If sustainable my ass, these rich mofos just wanna keep the poor poor and make the rich richer that was obvious during COVID. Okay. I am sorry but you keep Walmart open, but we can’t go to mom and pops. You keep strip bars open, but we can’t go to church. Bull honky, the republicans are just as complicit in the crimes as the democrats They are all traitors and honestly I would not be upset if every one of them got tired and feathered. Wake up America, wake up Alaska. None of these politicians are poor. All of them come from either elite class or suburbia heaven. What the hell do they know about struggling paycheck to paycheck?
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