Lawmakers voted Tuesday to double cash assistance to poor seniors in a special legislative session held for the first time in Anchorage.
Debate during the one-day session centered on increased spending at a time when slackening oil production could shrink state revenue as soon as next year.
The historic special legislative session was held in the downtown Egan Center and marked the first time the full Legislature has met outside of the state capital of Juneau.
The Legislature voted to increase the aid so that it ranges from $125 to $250 from the current $120 a month for the year that starts Sunday. They also boosted the number of seniors eligible to an estimated 10,700, from the current 7,000, by raising the maximum qualifying income level to $22,347 for individuals and $29,960 for couples.
In all, the senior-aid expansion will cost the state $19.4 million for the year that starts in July, up from $10 million.
Lawmakers also changed the name of the program to "senior benefits payment." It has been called SeniorCare, which conflicted with the name of an Anchorage business called Senior Care.
Lawmakers called for the special session just weeks after adjourning for the year in Juneau on May 16. The senior-aid legislation died after becoming ensnared in end-of-session politics.
Several lawmakers argued Tuesday that increasing the amount of cash assistance would create an unsustainable amount of state spending for an entitlement that overlapped other state-sponsored programs for seniors.
"This isn't against seniors; this is about how we manage spending," said Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole. Coghill voted against renewing the program, saying it was "too much of a jump and not sustainable in the long run."
House Majority Leader Ralph Samuels, R-Anchorage, said the state was facing a 6 percent decrease in oil production this year.
With less production, the state could have less oil revenue coming in to pay for senior entitlements and the rise in the cost of education.
"That discussion just isn't sinking in enough" with the public or the Legislature, Samuels said. "But we are looking at making some pretty tough choices very soon."
Legislators supporting the increase argued lawmakers should give needy seniors the assistance they need and look at cutting spending on excessive capital projects and grants.
This year's budget for state capital projects and grants was one of the highest in history, with more than $530 million in allocations from the state general fund.
"Every one of us has shown we can spend a lot," said Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage. "This debate is about priorities."
Gov. Sarah Palin, who has called for keeping state spending down, has said she will announce which projects she will veto from the budget by this weekend.
The governor's office said Palin will support the senior benefits program the Legislature passed Tuesday.
The historic session in Anchorage drew dozens of spectators to the three rows of the makeshift public viewing gallery in the Egan Center's lower auditorium. Among those were former legislators Gail Phillips, Norm Rokeberg and Larry Baker.
Some lawmakers said they were pleased that the session was being held in Anchorage for its convenience to legislators and voters alike.
Rep. Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks, introduced a constituent sitting in the gallery who, Ramras emphasized, had driven to Anchorage to "see his government at work."
Lawmakers from outside the Anchorage area expressed concern before Tuesday that holding the special session outside of Juneau could reinvigorate the debate over moving the capital.
"While I might not like the venue, I'm certainly glad we are doing what we intended to do," said House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau.
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