The vast majority of Alaskans will be $2,072 richer when they receive their Permanent Fund dividend checks from the state next month, an amount unveiled Monday morning at an event hosted by Gov. Bill Walker.
Walker and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott spoke before the amount was revealed. Walker alluded to this year's dividend being the fund's largest-ever, unadjusted for inflation -- but deferred the final announcement to Mat-Su seventh-grade student Shania Sommer.
Walker said he didn't want to continue the politicization of the annual PFD announcement, an occasion that has seen previous governors or revenue commissioners announce the check amount to much fanfare.
It's (the dividend check) not anything that Byron or I did," Walker said.
Sommer, 12, a student in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, said she has saved every PFD check since fourth grade and plans to use the money for college, where she will study to be an engineer or an Alaska state trooper.
"This is really about the next generation," Walker said. "It's really about her generation."