If the Power Cost Equalization fight ends up in court, of which there is a chance, and if the attorney general is right, of which there is a chance, there is also a chance that about $10 billion or more of the Permanent Fund earnings reserve should be transferred into the Constitutional Budget Reserve.
Read MoreTens of thousands of people are traveling on these ships every summer day in Alaska, creating tens of thousands of reasons to keep the Ocean Rangers at work.
Read MoreFormer Gov. Sean Parnell said the scholarship endowment would be a “strong fence of moral obligation” to benefit students of future generations. Every member of the Legislature agreed. Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his allies in the state House want young Alaskans to know nothing about that promise.
Read MoreFinancial exigency is an extreme step, which will lead to a sudden and unplanned dismantling of programs across the state. Anyone looking at this from Outside will conclude that the state is not a good place to invest because it is unwilling to support higher education.
Read MoreGov. Mike Dunleavy and his allies in the Legislature have endorsed the dismantling of the University of Alaska without allowing time for any real public discussion about the damage they are doing to Alaska. They also haven’t allowed any time for a sensible process to take place.
Read MoreIf the Legislature restores half of the $135 million cut, which may or may not happen, the University of Alaska would still face a crisis requiring many programs to be eliminated and wide-ranging layoffs of tenured faculty members, which can only happen with the emergency declaration.
Read MoreAs the finances of the University of Alaska enter more perilous territory, the University of Alaska Board of Regents will again consider a motion to declare a financial emergency, moving up the debate to Monday.
Read MoreThe governor has no interest in restoring the endowments, which means that student scholarships for thousands of young Alaskans and rural electric subsidies for thousands of Alaskans are far more vulnerable and likely to be done away with next year.
Read MoreThe best way for the Legislature to respond is to approve the so-called “reverse sweep” so that the endowments for scholarships and rural electric payments are not emptied by administrative action without public hearings or discussion.
Read MoreThe University of Alaska is one of the most important institutions for the future of our state. It deserves a real appraisal of its strengths and weaknesses. Not this dishonest document from the Dunleavy administration.
Read MoreThe same brilliant policy call by the Dunleavy administration that put the Power Cost Equalization program on hold has eliminated funding to implement the new crime bill.
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