Today in the Legislature, the House was not able to muster a quorum to conduct business, leaving HB 3003 stranded and leaving the liberal majority scrambling for members.
The conservative caucus wasn’t going to budge and allow the cut-and-run liberals to force through an $1,100 Permanent Fund dividend.
Speaker Stutes had told the members she wanted the entire bill passed by Tuesday night.
Democrats milled around the House floor midday, waiting for something to happen. Finally, the session was “delayed to the call of the chair.” And then there was a “technical session,” a full admission that the House is in disorder.
Without the Minority, there was no Majority. Rep. Sara Rasmussen, who is a caucus of one, said she would get herself on a plane to Juneau right away. Rep. Chris Tuck has been working out in rural Alaska.
HB 3003 is the bill that has the unfinished work of the Legislature in it, including the Permanent Fund Dividend, which was once again set by the House Finance Committee at $1,100, less than one-third the statutory amount and less than half of what Gov. Mike Dunleavy had proposed with his 50-50 plan — $2,350.
But then, as the liberal majority caucused privately (minus a couple of members such as Rep. Chris Tuck and Rep. Geran Tarr, both who are somewhat on “the outs” with their caucus), a Dunleavy bomb dropped into the middle of the bill.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that, subsequent to a judge’s decision on the Power Cost Equalization Fund being considered a protected endowment, all other funds that were considered appropriated before June 30 are being enacted by his administration.
That means the Houston Middle School, West Su road project, scholarships, and the WWAMI program to get more doctors educated are now funded and the agencies in charge of those projects may expend those funds.
The Dunleavy Administration made the decision based on the court’s Power Cost Equalization Fund decision and some budgeting nuances: All appropriations not vetoed before July 1 are valid appropriations and shall be implemented. Dunleavy instructed his staff to begin the process now.
“Alaska’s students who worked hard and excelled and chose to stay in Alaska deserve stability in their university education. Performance scholarship recipients and WWAMI students can rest assured the funding for their secondary education is secure,” said Dunleavy, in a statement.
Although much of this is in the budget weeds for Alaskans, the governor’s letter is good news for students and Alaskans because it removes all of the MatSu Valley projects, which were being held hostage by the liberal majority, from the equation.
And it also robs the liberal majority from some of its funding machinations for HB 3003. It’s going to have to go back to the drawing board.
Speaker Stutes cannot disagree with the governor without contradicting herself. She sent the governor a letter last week in which she said the appropriations should be implemented.
Now, the governor has taken her up on the offer.
The House Finance version of HB 3003 is far from acceptable to the conservative House Minority, which wants at least the 50-50 plan, if not the entire PFD, for Alaskans.
Wow, our Governor continues to impress us little people with his common sense, willingness to fight for what is right and put the lefties on notice, “your trash ain’t happening here in our great state.” Love it!!
A small victory. What remains to be seen is the punishment Louise Stutes will try to force on us – MatSu, your projects are in line for a massive kill shot, the rest of us will just have to wait and see, but kiss the PFD goodbye.
Hahahahah
What a bunch of losers
Maybe when Stands Tall saw Steel Balls stand up to the Anchorage, and win, Stands Tall grew a backbone! Hey, a girl can hope, right?
“The Department of Urgent Needs speaking”. “May I help you?”
We demand our entire PFD amount for this year and the balance of what was stolen from us since 2016…. keep your cotton picking hands off our money and budget with what you already have…
Hear! Hear!
If it’s “our money” then you should march into the PF office and demand your fractional share of the PF (+/- $70,000). Otherwise, its no more “ours” than the money they use to pay for salaries of bureaucrats or paint for crosswalks, etc.
Do I hear the tinkling of some tiny balls starting to grow? Yes, please, Guvna! May I have some more?
Never fear tomorrow the Gov’s advisors will tell him he shouldn’t fight because he might lose. So, you know the Gov will once again retreat to his basement bunker and resume his fetal position.
Entire PFD. Nothing less!
SB26 should be promptly repealed and replaced with statutory law, in order to fulfill the mandate given by the people to fund a full Permanent fund Dividend, regardless of the shenanigans that the fake lawmakers are presenting. Time to stand up for the Historical Statutory formula and do the right thing for the people of Alaska. Maximum dividend for the people of Alaska, not minimum calculations by the inept legislatures of Alaska.
Your comment is spot on Stephan, “inept legislatures of Alaska”, are fully on display at this exact moment in time!
Funny…if they would just follow the law, none of these special sessions, PFD pow wows, and standoffs would be necessary. Wasn’t it a lot more fun when we’d gather around the tv and wait for the big PFD amount announcement – based off of the law?
Wholeheartedly agree. Walker started this BS and the Lawbreakers have played it up as much as they can.
Why are these republicans that join the democrats allowed to stay in the party they stab in the back?
Because they were elected by people, not a party.
This is totally awesome! Of course the liberal media and blogs will shout Bully! But Governor Mike – you rock!!!!!
It only took some backbone from Bronson to show the way!
Democrats/ liberals show their true colors . They think they know how to spend your money better than you . They are not about social programs- Democrats are about control programs!
Dunleavy wants to let you have your rightful $2300 dividend for you to spend as you see fit. Democrats want to give you a pittance of that and spend your money as they see fit. They don’t actually care about anything except control. Republicans and libertarians = liberty.
Democrats and liberals = Tyranny
Never ever vote dDemocrat. They don’t believe you know how to live your life as you see fit . If democrats actually cared about people they would demand a double dividend. Instead they want to give you just enough to get by so you are their dependent slave . They love to force their ideology onto others. You must mask up ! Do as we say – mandate a vaccine!
Never was there a more creepy party. Rename them – anti democratic party – gaslighters for office. Or you can keep your slave party ! The more you know about the democratic party the more it’s apparent as a party of sociopaths. Yuck .
A couple of things: nothing lawful can happen without a guorum. There is a process for appropriations. Is it a memo from a caucus chair to a Governor? Who should know that? What happened? Is the Rules committee suspending state government budget process thereby the government? Does a Rules chair serve the people of Alaska or a gentlemen’s agreement? I’d like to know more about this gentleman’s agreement. When was it memorialized and by whom. Let’s talk about that at great length. This agreement to suspend government may not be lawful while receiving a stipend. The job description is not where one is amply rewarded for balking. Furthermore providing a working budget is the only justification for their existence. They, I believe have gone unfortunately to malfeasance camp. Call: the sheriff! Call the sergeant of arms tout de suite! (You know, the shy young college graduate employee whose job it is to protect the public from maladministration.) Call the cops? Call Kevin Meyer? Call…?
Hold on a minute….Sarah Rasmussen is getting herself on an air plane RIGHT AWAY??? Didn’t she just tell her constituents that she is NOT going to Juneau and I quote:
“Until contract tracing and follow up testing is completed, I’m following quarantine guidance from public health,”
So public health be damned, if Louise Stutes needs a warm body in the seat???? Is AK air letting her fly, knowing she had “contact”? Is Louise going to let her into the house chamber? So many questions……Again rules for thee but not for me!
This will be insightful to watch!
Those Alaskan districts that continue electing the Democrats and three Republicans didnt give Governor Dunleavy a very cooperative team last year, did they. A lot of them could had been replaced.
Governor Dunleavy is still stuck with the same people refusing to work with him since 2019.
It is about time the governor called the idots running the asylum on their constant obfuscation and misdirection. We need the Administration to start telling it like it is and using the tools they have to combat the hostage taking that the legislature has been using for years to steal from the citizens of Alaska. Good for Dunleavy, calling the legislative clown car on their bluff. Dunleavy was on the right track when he hired Donna Arduin. He should have had the backbone to continue to let her expose the runaway spending for what it is, instead of caving to the political hatchet job from the ADN. Getting re elected is NOT the goal as governor, the goal is to govern for the people.
Good job gov, this really shows how well they represent us! Give the peasants a bone to shut them up another year, they don’t care and they sure as hell aren’t representing!
If the so called liberal majority had not appropriated the funds, the Governor would not be able to spend the funds. The Governor has reversed his veto. Now the legislature can appropriate a dividend with the remaining balance under the 5% POMV and gavel out
Dear party of (D). History is very ugly for what citizens sometimes bring to tyrants. Might want to read up on what happened to Mussolini, or even Gaddafi. Liberty loving people have just about had enough
GREAT job, Guv!! Stare them down. Make them blink first.
An idea… if you need money to fund the full PFD, just pull it from the Power Cost Equalization fund. My house “identifies” as “rural” so I qualify, right?
It would actually be a fair use of the PCE fund. No reason why we should be subsidizing power costs for people that choose to live in the Bush.
I don’t understand the explanation of the Governor’s decree – is he “unsweeping” the sweep?
When the Governor, rather promptly, announced that there would be appeal of the Superior Court’s decision in the Power Cost Equalization litigation, I thought: “Interesting, there must be something else in play here.”. And apparently there was. I bet the social justice warrior judge that made the PCE ruling is now wishing she would have been more precise in her language. A very similar situation has occurred at the federal level, where the Supreme Court has applied the exact reasoning that thwarted the Trump regime’s efforts to vacate the Obama/Biden’s stay on actions against the “Dreamers” to block the “Remain-in-Mexico” rule. “Results-oriented” jurisprudence can be tough…. And I guess both sides can play the game.
I think you meant that there would NOT be an appeal (unless I missed something).
I believe that the Superior Court decision would have been overturned at the Alaska Supreme Court.
Appealing the decision was bad politics for Dunleavy and Alaska loses again. by not having this clarified by the ASC.
The PCER is either a dedicated fund (prevented by the State Constitution) or it is not and thus subject to the sweep.
Correct: I omitted “not” by mistake. As for the Alaska Supreme Court, they have demonstrated that they will do or say anything to achieve a desired result.
Nicely done, Mike. Dial it up a couple notches for strategic benefit.
All right Governor, you found second gear. Now lets gain some speed. The gas is on the right, the brake is on the left.
Way to go Dunleavy!! Now you liberals need to work for the people of Alaska and get this PFD done right!
The only thing I despise more than Democrats is taxes, especially reverse taxes. The Governor’s plan includes the imposition of undefined taxes to balance the budget. I see professionally unemployed parasites getting $2500 PFD checks, then continuing to collect transfer payments from the general fund, including new taxes that will be levied against me.
No, damn it. Just no.
I find it amazing that I actually support Demonrats in this fight, but any mention of new taxes on me while so many parasites get free bucks and bennies while enjoying their intoxication is simply out if the question.
We need Mao, not for his Marxist economic disaster, but because he solved a nation’s 300 year opium addiction in ten short years, and he didn’t do it with PFD checks.
Seriously Reg, summoning the ghost of Mao to solve a moral dilemma? I’m pretty sure NO ONE would consider starvation and mass murder a viable solution. I need to go puke now. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Andrew. Yes, Mao was a mass murderer, but opium dealers were one of his first and primary targets, and as I wrote, it solved a 300 year old social and political catastrophe in ten short years. He didn’t starve them. He executed them. Moral? I’ll leave that to you to dictate. Effective? Very much so. So if you enjoy what substance abuse is doing to this society, enjoy your moral perch and keep paying the abusers to waste themselves and society’s resources on getting stoned.
Reggie. He didn’t plan to starve them out. Starvation was the result of his purges. Those purges included EVERYONE who did not agree with him in lockstep, even members of his own communist party. Is this the communist utopia you envision and crave? No taxes, as all private property will be abolished and nationalised. As for me, yes, I will keep to my perch and denounce the immorality of communism in all its forms and methods while you should be careful what you wish for…you might just get it.
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