Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, and House Minority Leader Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, step outside the House chambers on Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, to discuss a message from the Senate. Lawmakers entered their fourth special session Monday, with a resolution to hold committee meetings remotely. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, and House Minority Leader Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, step outside the House chambers on Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, to discuss a message from the Senate. Lawmakers entered their fourth special session Monday, with a resolution to hold committee meetings remotely. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

4th special session gets off to a slow start

Meetings could take place outside Juneau

This is a developing story.

The Alaska State Legislature got off to a slow start Monday with both chamber’s afternoon floor sessions delayed as lawmakers held closed-door caucus meetings.

Going into the evening Monday, lawmakers were still negotiating a resolution that would allow them to hold remote committee meetings from legislative information offices around the state, namely Anchorage. Any votes on legislation would have to take place in Juneau.

Members of all the legislative caucuses were in town Monday, though several members were excused from the House of Representatives for several weeks. Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, was excused until Oct. 25.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy brought lawmakers to Juneau to try to resolve the state’s long-term fiscal problems, but the Legislature remains deeply divided on how to do that. A working group tasked with finding a resolution to the state’s fiscal deficit identified several areas for lawmakers to work towards but didn’t provide specific policy recommendations.

[Bartlett Hospital services are stable]

The group recommended four areas for lawmakers to address — new revenues, additional cuts, a guarantee for the Permanent Fund Dividend and combining the accounts of the Alaska Permanent Fund into one large account.

The group’s report recommends lawmakers pursue additional revenues of between $500-755 million but does not say where those revenues should come from. The report also recommends additional cuts of $25-200 million but similarly does not recommend where those cuts should be made.

The workgroup was more unanimous in its support for combining the two accounts of the permanent fund into a single fund and using a percent of market value draw from the enlarged account. The group also recommended paying a PFD that was 50% of that draw as a way of guaranteeing a dividend.

“Lawmakers have largely accepted the conclusions put forward by the fiscal policy working group,” said Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich, D-Anchorage, Monday in an interview with the Empire, which was more agreement than had existed in the past.

Begich said this session likely wouldn’t produce any substantive pieces of legislation but would set lawmakers up for a more effective regular session in January. Lawmakers have largely accepted the conclusions put forward by the fiscal policy working group, Begich said Monday in an interview with the Empire, which was more agreement than had existed in the past.

“This is the first time we have all four elements on the table,” Begich said. “(Lawmakers) generally agreed that this is the framework, this plan represents a framework.”

But there’s been little agreement on how to build on that framework. Some lawmakers introduced legislation during the last special session for things like new taxes for revenues and a spending limit, but those bills haven’t moved very far through the legislative process.

• Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Nov. 10

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Monday, Nov. 11, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

A map shows Alaska had the largest increase in drug overdose deaths among the five states reporting increases during the 12-month period ending in June. Overdoses nationally declined for a second straight year. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map)
Drug overdose deaths in Alaska jump 38.68% in a year as nationwide rate drops 14%

National experts see hope in second annual decline as Alaska officials worry about ongoing crisis.

Students arrive at Thunder Mountain Middle School on the first day of school Thursday, Aug. 15. The school now houses all students in grades 7-8, who were in two middle schools last year, and the students at Thunder Mountain last year when it was a high school have been consolidated into Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)
Report: 11 high school fights during first quarter of school year, up from 3 each of past two years

Consolidation seen as possible factor; middle school incidents more typical compared to recent years

People gather outside Resurrection Lutheran Church as it hosts its weekly food pantry on Tuesday afternoon. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Resurrection Lutheran Church leadership dispute intensifies with accusations of assault, theft, sabotage

Pastor removed, lawsuit lingers as competing groups try to continue worship services, food pantry.

Nick Begich, center, the Republican candidate for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat, talks with supporters during a meet-and-greet Oct. 12 at the Southeast Alaska Real Estate office near the Nugget Mall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Updated vote counts show Begich, repeal of ranked choice voting likely to prevail

Most ballots uncounted on Election Day have now been tallied, with final results due Nov. 20.

Letters of support are posted to the window of the Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, following a shooting incident on Monday, Nov. 11 at 5:45 a.m. in Homer. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Man arrested for three shooting incidents at reproductive clinic, recovery organization in Homer

Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic was targeted twice Monday, suspect cites “religious beliefs.”

Most Read