Last week this legislative session should have been over. Instead it continued past its 90-day deadline, and the Governor rightly called a 30-day extension. Then the Republican-led majority voted for a break from work. That’s why legislators aren’t still in Juneau doing the public’s business. I and other Democrats voted to keep working, and to […]
Friday, March 13, 2015, Juneau, Alaska – The Alaska House of Representatives early this morning passed a Fiscal Year 2016 statewide operating budget with a historic 10 percent reduction in unrestricted general funds (UGF). Faced with a $3.5 billion deficit, the House Finance Committee found $229 million in reductions to day-to-day agency operations, while prioritizing […]
Juneau – Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) intends to file legislation this week to stop a large oil company subsidy that increases the budget deficit. The bill has been filed with the House Clerk and will be officially introduced on Wednesday. “Alaskans pay roughly $14 million a year for oil companies to use the Dalton Highway,” […]
Juneau – Education is Alaska’s best investment and the members of the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition adamantly object to a proposal to reduce public education funding by over 18 percent. The House Finance Budget Subcommittee for the Department of Education and Early Development approved the FY 2016 budget proposal Tuesday night despite the objections of […]