FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Stedman, JKT Advocate Protecting PF Principal
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sen. Bert Stedman and Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins called attention today to a veto by Gov. Mike Dunleavy that has the potential “to affect future generations” because of its effect on the Alaska Permanent Fund.
“It’s not Democrats or Republicans,” Stedman said. “It’s an issue for all of us regardless of party.”
During the regular session this year the Legislature passed measures to transfer $9.4 billion from the earnings reserve account into the principal of the Permanent Fund, with the goal of constitutionally protecting those funds.
“Both Republicans and Democrats had the idea of taking ($9.4 billion) out of the earnings reserve,” Stedman said. The money would be placed in the principal of the Permanent Fund, putting it off limits for spending by the Legislature.
On June 28 Dunleavy vetoed $5.4 billion of the proposed $9.4 billion transfer, allowing $4 billion to be put into the Permanent Fund principal. Meeting in special session, the Legislature tried again, voting to put the vetoed $5.4 billion back into the Permanent Fund principal. On Monday the governor once again vetoed the transfer.
In a press release from the House Majority today, Kreiss-Tomkins was critical of the veto.
“Gov. Dunleavy’s decision to veto the Legislature’s $5.4 billion deposit into the principal of the Permanent Fund enables irresponsible budgeting and risks the integrity of the Permanent Fund for future generations of Alaskans,” he said.
The effort started in 2018 by the Legislature to “move aggressively” to protect the Permanent Fund assets for future generations, by transferring funds from the earnings reserve account into the principal, said a news release from the House Majority. Both Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democrat, and Stedman, a Republican, have been active supporters of efforts to keep the Legislature from spending the earnings reserve.
Stedman said the goal is to “lock it up” for future generations.
“Some of us are convinced that the Legislature will spend it, which is why we want to put it in and lock it up,” he said.
The governor’s veto means that some $10 billion is still in the earnings reserve, and available for appropriation by the Legislature, Stedman said.
But both Kreiss-Tomkins and Stedman said they plan to address the issue when the 2020 legislative session opens in January.
“This year’s proposed deposits into the principal of the Permanent Fund were just the beginning of the needed work to make the Permanent Fund truly permanent,” Kreiss-Tomkins said in today’s statement. “Ultimately, all and not just part of the Permanent Fund must be constitutionally protected from unsustainable spending proposals to ensure that generations of Alaskans well beyond my own can benefit from Alaska’s resource wealth just as our current generations have benefited.”
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....