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The mostly balanced budget is similar to the House’s spending plan. The bigger fights between lawmakers are expected to be on policy differences.
A recent court ruling could be a potential “disaster” and “emergency” for more than 20,000 students, Gov. Dunleavy said.
The request comes as lawmakers raise concerns about the struggling $44 billion project, including the high salaries of the executives in charge.
The omnibus bill also closes a loophole for out-of-state sex offenders and involuntary commitments.
Bob Griffin told lawmakers he supported Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of an education funding bill earlier this year.
New bills have been introduced in the wake of a judge’s ruling that state statutes allowing public funds to be spent for private and religious schooling are unconstitutional.
The bill moves on to the Senate, but detractors said it could be subject to legal challenges even if it becomes law.
A budget draft approved by the Senate Finance Committee includes cash payments of around $1,600 — including the Permanent Fund dividend and an energy relief payment — per eligible Alaskan.
A vote on the proposal could take place as soon as Friday, and if it succeeds, the idea would go to the state Senate.
The House passed a non-binding resolution Wednesday calling for a 14-month stay on a court decision that blocked public funds from being used for private school tuition.
Rep. Andrew Gray, an Anchorage Democrat and the author of the proposal, says he will introduce a revised and updated version.
The funding boost for solar comes as legislators try to address a looming shortfall of Cook Inlet gas.
An amendment from Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, would lower the age for obtaining behavioral health care to 16.
The program, if approved, would target smaller companies than those that won a share of more than $100 million in salmon and pollock purchases by the federal government earlier this year.
The bipartisan 32-8 vote sends House Bill 50, backed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, to the Senate for further work.
The governor floated an “education dividend” to replace correspondence program allotments.
The state owes $17.5 million to four school districts after not adequately funding them during the COVID-19 pandemic, the feds said.
An amended bill would add elementary, middle school and collegiate sports to limits in place for high school.
Over 20,000 correspondence students in Alaska could see significant changes to their education under the ruling late Friday.
The operating and capital budgets were exchanged in the second-floor hallway of the state Capitol to a large crowd of legislators and staff.
The proposed amendment needed 27 votes to advance to the Senate. It fell five votes short.
Taking into account other bills that are expected to pass along with the capital budget, the House’s spending plan was expected to be at least $276 million in deficit.
The bill, approved by the Senate on Thursday, heads next to Gov. Mike Dunleavy.