27th Legislature adjourns after passing measures emphasizing energy, education, infrastructure, health, jobs and savings

JUNEAU-The 27^th Alaska State Legislature has adjourned after passing several key measures fulfilling the Senate Bipartisan Working Group’s goals established at the beginning of this Session: Savings, Education, Energy, Health, Jobs, and Infrastructure.

In the Capital Budget, the Senate Bipartisan Working Group advanced its goals by appropriating an estimated $870 million for transportation, $370 million to improve schools and education across the state, $210 million in projects to reduce energy costs statewide, and $90 million to improve the health care of Alaskans. Overall, the Capital Budget appropriates $2.94 billion to projects across Alaska, which will create jobs and stabilize economies statewide.

In the Operating Budget, the Senate Bipartisan Working Group emphasized “Savings Before Spending” by adding four dollars to state savings for each dollar that is spent on capital projects. Since 2007, under the leadership of the Senate, Alaska’s savings have grown by over $10 billion. The Senate Finance Committee also achieved a milestone in controlling agency spending. For the past several years, state agencies have grown around 7-percent per year. This year, members of the Senate Finance Committee along with the Administration and the House Finance Committee, worked together to reduce that growth to around 3.6%.

The Senate also reached key agreements with the House on an education funding package that includes funding for next year, as well as increases in the base funding amounts for pupil transportation and vocational education, which will now be expanded to middle schools. The Senate also reached a key agreement with the House to establish a long-term funding source for the Alaska Performance Scholarship Program. Other key provisions in the budgets include funding for Parents as Teachers and Best Beginnings.

For more information, please contact Carolyn Kuckertz at 907-465-3803 or 907-748-7714.