On Tuesday, September 14, Senate Bill 53 was tabled on the final day of the third special session in the Alaska State Legislature. The bill was requested by Gov. Mike Dunleavy relating to the income of the Alaska permanent fund, the amount of the permanent fund dividend, the duties of the commissioner of revenue and providing for an effective date.
Senate President Peter Micciche expressed frustration in talking with Duane Bannock on Thursday’s edition of KSRM’s “Sound Off”:
“I pushed. We had the support for Senate Bill 53 to go on the floor. Senate Bill 53 is the 50/50 restructuring bill. We’ve talked about a package to get to this point, but putting 53 on the floor, which we tabled at the end of the session, was a very important thing. Everybody knows I’m a 50/50 supporter. The governor’s 50/50 plan, the sooner we can get there the better. I’ve voted for a 50/50 every time, no matter what you read on Facebook. If you look on the votes, I’ve voted for it every time. I voted against rescinding it. We had the votes the night before last and two members of the senate decided to rescind their support for the 50/50. I voted against that, but I know why they did it. They did it for the same reason I voted for the bill and they did it for the same reason the governor signed the bill for an $1,100 PFD and that reason is we are fearing that there’s not going to be a PFD if that bill wasn’t to pass this year, doesn’t mean we’re done fighting for a 50/50 PFD this year.”
Sen. Micciche says that there’s not enough people ready to get to a 50/50 PFD:
“We’ll work on a higher PFD as we continue down this road for this year, but that guarantees an $1,100 going out. That’s why the governor signed it. That’s why I voted for it. He voted the same way I did by signing it. We’ll keep working on it. We’ll try to get it done when people are ready to get to that point. I don’t know when that is. I’ve been ready for six years.”
Dunleavy pledged not to veto the partial PFD, but did call the legislature back for a fourth session October 1st to get the rest of the PFD. He also said that legislative lawmakers in Juneau failed to provide Alaskans a functional PFD, explaining that the people of Alaska need help now.
For more information on Senate Bill 53, click here.