The House's operating budget chair, Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, says nobody’s totally satisfied — and that makes it a good compromise.
The Alaska House of Representatives passed its $6 billion operating budget Thursday. That’s the spending plan for day-to-day government operations beginning next June.
“This budget prioritizes public safety, education, a strong Permanent Fund dividend, essential services to Alaskans and provides support to Alaska’s most vulnerable populations,” Johnson said. “No, it’s not a full PFD, but I want the community and the state constituents to recognize that it is the third largest. We’re doing the best that we can, and in order to make that PFD and the dividend for the long duration of the time, we have to be very careful and wise to what we’re doing,” Allard said.
He said new revenues could help with that. And minority members also pointed to some other missing pieces.One missing piece we heard a lot about is the rising cost of energy. Here’s Rep. Maxine Dibert, a Democrat from Fairbanks. But members of the Republican-led majority said there’s another place for that. Here’s Rep. Will Stapp, a Republican from Fairbanks.
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