Daily Sitka Sentinel

Legislators Seek Delay In Aug. Special Session

By BECKY BOHRER
The Associated Press

JUNEAU (AP) — Alaska legislative leaders have asked Gov. Mike Dunleavy to delay the upcoming special session, which is set to begin Monday.

In a letter dated Wednesday, they say three of the caucuses prefer an Aug. 16 start, while the bipartisan House majority coalition prefers an Aug. 9 start. Special sessions can last up to 30 days.

The letter was signed by Senate President Peter Micciche, House Speaker Louise Stutes, Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich and House Minority Leader Cathy Tilton.

The letter says a delay will provide legislators and staff “a hard date to make procedural preparations and the ability to make the transition to Juneau” for the session. It also says it will provide extra time “for fiscal plan items under consideration to be reviewed.”

Dunleavy spokesperson Jeff Turner said he expected additional details to be available Thursday.

Dunleavy announced plans for an Aug. 2 special session in May. It was supposed to build off a special session convened in May, during which Dunleavy wanted lawmakers to work on the budget and address his proposal to restructure the state’s oil-wealth fund and put a formula for the annual dividend paid to residents in the state constitution. 

But the budget consumed the special session that began in May and there were concerns among lawmakers about the assumptions underlying Dunleavy’s permanent fund proposal and taking up such a proposal without other pieces of a state fiscal plan.

Budget work spilled into a late June special session, and the House, to secure effective date provision votes Dunleavy said were needed for the budget to take effect July 1, approved creating a House-Senate working group to come up with fiscal plan recommendations. 

The committee hasn’t advanced any proposals yet, and the budget work isn’t completed yet, either. Both chambers failed to secure key votes that left in limbo funding for things such as the Power Cost Equalization program that helps with rural utility costs. 

A lawsuit aimed at forcing the release of funds for that program is pending. A court hearing is set for next week.

The original August special session agenda set by Dunleavy included his proposed constitutional amendments around a spending limit and taxes and “measures to increase state revenues.” 

Turner by email Wednesday said that determining the future of the permanent fund and the dividend “are the rocks in the road that need to be moved to create a stable fiscal future for Alaskans.” The dividend and permanent fund were not on the original agenda.