(420) stories found containing 'Mike Dunleavy'


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  • AK Legislature fails to override vetoes that prompt cuts

    Jul 18, 2019

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Legislature failed Wednesday to override budget vetoes by Gov. Mike Dunleavy that will prompt a massive 41% cut of state funding to the University of Alaska and lay waste to other programs the governor deemed unaffordable. More than one-third of lawmakers missed the vote — many because of an ongoing dispute about where the Legislature should have met for the special session. Lawmakers needed 45 votes — a three-fourths majority of the 60 members of the state Senate and House — to override the vetoes by Dunl...

  • Governor's call amended to include capital budget, full legislature to convene in Juneau

    Jul 18, 2019

    JUNEAU – On Wed., July 17, Gov. Mike Dunleavy amended his call for the Second Special Session to include the unfinished capital budget appropriations bill and to change the session location from Wasilla to Juneau. Lawmakers will gather in the Alaska State Capitol on Thurs., July 18, to begin working on the expanded agenda and to continue working on the many pressing issues facing our state. “Legislative leaders from all four caucuses are meeting frequently with the governor. We have identified areas of alignment and found a productive next ste...

  • In terms of budget cuts, fisheries fare better than most people

    Laine Welch|Jul 18, 2019

    Fisheries fare better than most people in terms of Governor Mike Dunleavy’s budget cuts. Just under one million dollars was cut from the commercial fisheries division of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, leaving it with an $85 million budget, half from state general funds. “To give the governor credit, he recognized the return on investment,” said Doug Vincent-Lang, ADF&G Commissioner. “It’s a theme I had all the way through the legislature that we take a $200 million budget of which about $50 million is unrestricted general funds and...

  • Residents protest governor's vetoes

    Brian Varela|Jul 11, 2019

    Cars were driving by honking and rock 'n' roll music was playing as nearly 100 residents gathered in front of the Petersburg Courthouse on Tuesday at 12 P.M. to protest Gov. Mike Dunleavy's 182 vetoes. Protestors were carrying signs that read "override," and "save our state." They were also signing their names on a piece of canvass that had the letters S.O.S. on it. One of the organizers, Chelsea Tremblay, said that the canvass will be sent to legislators to show that they have the support of...

  • Legislators brace for showdown over governor's vetoes

    Jul 11, 2019

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The message on the front page of Alaska's second-largest newspaper was unmistakable. A nearly 2-inch (5-centimeter) headline, outlined in red, in Monday's edition of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner contained a single word: OVERRIDE. It appeared over a full-page editorial calling for state lawmakers to "save Alaska" from severe budget vetoes by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the likely economic devastation that would follow. Emotions are running high ahead of a joint legislative s...

  • Economists: Budget vetoes could result in job losses

    Jul 11, 2019

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Budget vetoes of $444 million by Alaska’s governor could cause widespread job losses, economists said. Analysts and business leaders predict lost jobs are only one of the consequences of Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavey’s vetoes, The Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday. Losses from the vetoes would be roughly between 4,500 and 7,000 jobs, according to an analysis by the University of Alaska Anchorage Institute of Social and Economic Research. Higher local property taxes could also result from the 182 line-item vetoe...

  • Wasilla or Juneau? Disagreement over special session locale

    Jul 11, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — One of the most powerful Republicans in the Alaska Senate is bucking the Senate president’s call to meet in Juneau on Monday, as legislative factions barrel toward trying to hold special sessions in two different cities, hundreds of miles apart. Senate Majority Leader Mia Costello, in an opinion piece published by her hometown Anchorage Daily News, said Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a legitimate call for lawmakers to convene in Wasilla and she will heed that call. “It doesn’t matter how we feel about the governo...

  • One fisheries item that appears to have escaped Gov. Dunleavy's veto pen is desire to divert local fish taxes from coastal communities into state coffers

    Laine Welch|Jul 11, 2019

    One fisheries item that appears to have escaped Governor Mike Dunleavy’s veto pen so far is his desire to divert local fish taxes from coastal communities into state coffers. Dunleavy’s initial budget in February aimed to repeal the sharing of fisheries business and landing taxes that towns and boroughs split 50/50 with the state. Instead, all of the tax revenues would go to the state’s general fund – a loss of $28 million in FY 2020 to fishing communities. “There is a recognition that these are viewed as shared resources, and they should be...

  • Assembly to vote on millage rate increase

    Brian Varela|Jul 4, 2019

    The Petersburg Borough Assembly will be holding an assembly meeting on Thursday at 10 A.M. to discuss and possibly pass a resolution setting a supplemental millage rate for the 2020 fiscal year that began on July 1. The millage rate is the amount per $1,000 of a property's assessed value that is used to calculate taxes within the borough. The meeting was originally supposed to be held on Friday, but it was cancelled due to a lack of quorum. The next meeting wasn't going to be until July 18, but...

  • Dunleavy slashes university budget

    Jul 4, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Mike Dunleavy slashed the University of Alaska system budget by $130 million on Friday, part of more than $400 million in vetoes he characterized as difficult but necessary amid an ongoing state deficit. Critics called the cuts disappointing and dangerous for an economy that’s shown bright spots after a prolonged recession. Dunleavy, a Republican, also cut state support for public broadcasting, reduced spending for Medicaid and eliminated a program that provides mon...

  • Assembly approves 11.45 mill rate

    Brian Varela|Jun 27, 2019

    On Friday, the borough assembly approved one of two resolutions that set the millage rate at 11.45 mills for service area one. The millage rate is the amount per $1,000 of the property's assessed value that is used to calculate taxes within the borough. The mill rate reflects a scenario where Gov. Mike Dunleavy does not veto the state legislators' 2020 fiscal year state budget and funds the state's portion of the school bond debt reimbursement. If the governor does veto the budget, the assembly...

  • AK lawmakers reject Wasilla as site for special session

    Jun 27, 2019

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers have rejected Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s location of his hometown of Wasilla for a special session that starts next month. The Alaska Legislature will instead convene in Juneau on July 8 and then hold a majority of its meetings in Anchorage, House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, an independent from Dillingham, and Senate President Cathy Giessel, an Anchorage Republican, said in a joint statement. “The majority of legislators in both bodies considers it our right to determine the location and venue best equipped to co...

  • Borough fiscal budget passes in third reading

    Brian Varela|Jun 13, 2019

    The borough assembly adopted the 2020 fiscal year operating budget in its third reading on Monday after making 11 amendments to it since the assembly received the proposed budget on April 1. Expenditures in the general fund total $9,467,855, but is balanced out by $9,533,511 in revenues. The total amount of excess of revenues over expenditures is $65,656. The current 2019 fiscal year budget has a total of $9,466,759 in revenues and $9,446,352 in expenditures. During the assembly meeting on...

  • Alaska Senate fails to revive oil-wealth fund dividend bill

    Jun 13, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Senate failed Monday to revive a bill that would pay residents a full dividend of about $3,000 from the state’s oil-wealth fund this year, a sign of the struggle lawmakers are having in reaching agreement on one of the special session’s last issues. Instead, senators narrowly voted to create a working group with the House to make recommendations on future use of Alaska Permanent Fund earnings. The House approved the measure Sunday. Some suggested existing committees could buckle down on the issue and quest...

  • Alaska awards contract to study Medicaid

    Jun 13, 2019

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska has awarded a contract to study whether the state can become the first in the nation to change its Medicaid program into a block grant system. Alaska Journal of Commerce reported Wednesday that the state Department of Health and Social Services issued a notice May 29 of its intent to award the contract to analyze the prospect of implementing block grants for federal Medicaid payments, work requirements for Medicaid enrollees, and shifting some Alaska Medicaid recipients to private insurance. The $100,000 c...

  • Alaska Senate votes down full oil-wealth fund payout

    Jun 6, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) —The Alaska Senate on Tuesday narrowly voted down a full dividend payout from the state’s oil-wealth fund this year, with a prominent supporter of the proposal absent. The 10-8 vote came after the Senate, by the same tally, adopted an amendment calling for a full payout with checks to qualified residents estimated to be around $3,000. The initial bill proposed $1,600 checks. At least 11 votes were needed for the bill to pass. Sen. Mike Shower, a Wasilla Republican who has supported a full payout, posted on Facebook Sat...

  • Alaska lawmakers prepare for legal fight over education

    Jun 6, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Legislature, locked in a fight with Gov. Mike Dunleavy over education funding, moved one step closer Tuesday to a lawsuit over the issue. The House and Senate voted to give the committee that handles legislative business, the Legislative Council, authority to sue. Sen. Gary Stevens, the Legislative Council chair, told reporters a lawsuit could be filed if the money for K-12 schools is not released. Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, said the council composed of House and Senate members would have to vote to move f...

  • Alaska lawmakers face looming deadline, big decisions

    May 16, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — It’s crunch time for Alaska lawmakers, who face a looming deadline to complete their session and decide some of its thorniest issues. Wednesday will mark the 121st day of the regular session, the constitutional limit though a 10-day extension is allowable. Lawmakers last month blew past a 90-day voter-approved session limit, which wasn’t seen as realistic given Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget hadn’t been released until a month into session and the House didn’t organize until around the same time. Legislative...

  • Wrangell assembly and school district meet for joint budget workshop

    Caleb Vierkant|May 16, 2019

    WRANGELL — Members of the Wrangell School District and the borough assembly came together for a joint workshop on the school district’s recently adopted budget. As Superintendent Debbe Lancaster said in the past, and repeated in Monday evening’s meeting, this was a “no fat” budget that was operating very close to the district’s bare minimum. The FY 2020 budget is assuming $6.34 million in revenue, and almost the same in expenses. In comparison, this is a decrease from the FY 2019 budget whic...

  • Wrangell school district tightens belt and adopts "no fat" budget

    Caleb Vierkant|May 9, 2019

    WRANGELL — Lean times are ahead for the Wrangell School District, according to the budget that was adopted on April 30. Funding for the district has been a topic of much concern ever since Governor Mike Dunleavy released his proposals for the state budget. One of his proposals was a major cut to the Base Student Allocation, a program that gives schools money for every student in their district. It has been very challenging to prepare a budget for the new school year without knowing for sure w...

  • Assembly looks over the FY 2020 proposed budget

    Brian Varela|May 2, 2019

    A special meeting was held on April 17 by the borough assembly to discuss the proposed fiscal year 2020 Petersburg Borough budget before it goes before the assembly for its first reading on May 6. Finance director Jody Tow presented a slideshow detailing the general and enterprise funds for the proposed budget. Expenditures in the general fund total $9,567,149 for the 2020 budget, but it's balanced out by $9,571,545 in revenues. The total amount of excess of revenues over expenditures is...

  • Major issues unresolved in Alaska session's final weeks

    Apr 25, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The biggest issues heading into this year’s legislative session remain unresolved in the session’s final weeks, with Gov. Mike Dunleavy facing resistance to pieces of his agenda. Lawmakers have yet to finalize a budget. The size of the check residents will get this year from the state’s oil-wealth fund, the Alaska Permanent Fund, is unsettled, as is the debate over the program’s future. The Republican governor wants lawmakers to pass his package of bills related to crime and act on proposed constitutional amendment...

  • Commentary: Walker, Legislature cut dividends, the responsible thing to do

    Larry Persily|Apr 11, 2019

    Gov. Mike Dunleavy is right. The Legislature and governor the past three years appropriated money for individual Permanent Fund dividends contrary to the 1982 formula in state statute. So what? They did it for good reason. They did their job. The Legislature voted to pass a responsible budget based on Alaska's fiscal reality, balancing the needs and wants of individuals vs. the needs and services of the entire state. Despite what the new governor promised voters last fall, communities do not...

  • Alaska House poised to debate Dunleavy state budget

    Apr 11, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska House is set to begin debating next week its version of the state operating budget, which spares areas such as education, the university system, Medicaid and the state ferry system the level of cuts proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Whatever passes the House will go to the Senate, and differences between the two will need to be hashed out. Top lawmakers have said they want to work with Dunleavy to limit potential vetoes. Dunleavy called for sweeping budget cuts in response to an ongoing deficit currently...

  • Tempers flare in Alaska over governor's oil check plan

    Apr 11, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing a fiscal plan that includes sweeping cuts and providing Alaska residents with a full payout from the oil-wealth fund, and many residents are unhappy about it. The annual check paid to qualified residents was capped the past three years as state leaders struggled to address an ongoing budget deficit now estimated at $1.6 billion. Dunleavy campaigned on wanting to get residents their full payout. Now that he's governor, they're learning what that means. He has proposed cuts to a range of s...

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