The inability of the House to make responsible decisions condemns the State to further wasteful spending during the drawn out legislative session.

“As the newest member of Alaska’s Legislature, there have been a lot of things that have surprised me about our political process. One of the biggest surprises has been the disconnect between our fiscal situation and some of our spending decisions. This was made crystal clear for me on March 10, which was my first day in the Legislature, when we voted on the proposed budget.

The fiscal 2017 operating budget that passed the House included a cut of $283 million. Meanwhile, the House majority has rejected every attempt to claw back funding for megaprojects like the Ambler Road ($8.5 million), Juneau Access Road ($15.1 million), Bragaw Road Extension ($18.9 million), and the Knik Arm Bridge ($5 million). These four projects alone totaled $47.2 million, which could have funded items like the University of Alaska, completion of a school in Kivalina, and proven prekindergarten programs…”