Governor Bill Walker has called in a mediator to offer services to the legislature as around 10,000 layoff notices are sent out and the budget standoff continues.
Matt Peterson said he was called early this morning and has cleared his schedule this week in an effort to help reach an agreement.
Peterson: “I have a plan as to how I would like to proceed, I’ve cleared my calendar for the rest of this week and I’m prepared, starting this afternoon, to meet with the House leadership and the Senate leadership as the governor has asked me to make myself available to do whatever I can to help the process of helping negotiations between the sides so that we can come up with a final budget that we can move forward with our finances this year. Beyond that I can’t really discuss any specifics.”
Walker said the offer has been extended to legislative leaders although they had not heard back as of 1:30 pm.
He added that there is no other choice than to find a way to fund the budget because otherwise it is “a check that bounces.”
Gov. Walker: “We hope that this process works and we also hope that this process isn’t necessary because they come to a resolution very quickly.”
Fees for the mediation from Peterson would be out of the governor’s budget.
Notices have begun being mailed to around 10,000 state workers and if the state goes through with the layoffs, Alaska’s unemployment could hit 9%, the worst in the nation.
