Governor Mike Dunleavy held a Thursday press conference re-emphasizing public safety, PFD, education, and infrastructure as priorities for his supplemental budget and the proposed budget for FY23.
Dunleavy’s supplemental budget includes a spring PFD payment coinciding with his 50/50 plan of $1,250 per eligible Alaskan and a 2022 PFD of $2,500. In the presser, he cites inflation being at a 40-year high, and recent studies indicating that inflation costs Americans up to $3,500 per year. The latest Alaska Revenue forecast indicates a combined surplus of $1.6 billion in FY22 and FY23. With Government finances improving, the governor encourages the Legislature to help the everyday Alaskans who need the PFD to help offset the high costs of fuel and food.
The Dunleavy Administration expresses optimism that the G.O. bond package, which invests in transportation for Alaska, while improving safety, and creating jobs, is gaining momentum. The infrastructure law from the Biden Administration does not cover the specific projects this package includes. Dunleavy’s office says that the state is positioned for the G.O. Bond package because the cost of borrowing is less than the State’s average annual returns and debt service costs are affordable right now.
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