The apparent deadlock in Juneau on the House of Representatives’ version of the operating budget for the state of Alaska will extend through the Easter weekend with little visible progress to members of the House minority or the Senate majority.
Rep. Mike Chenault (R-Nikiski) said that minority members had been invited to negotiate on the budget following the dividend vote on Monday. However, the House conducted two, brief floor sessions Thursday with no budget discussion and will likely not meet through the Passover and Easter weekend.
Rep. Gary Knopp (R-District 30) believes there is a need for give-and-take on the House side to facilitate a budget document.
Knopp: “You know when you talk about working together that’s a little bit of give-and-take and of compromise and we (House minority) are not having that. They’re (House majority) asking us to support them now and this whole session we have not had one, single amendment put into the budget either in committee or or on the floor. Maybe two, but they didn’t have a fiscal impact. When you ask about working together, we’d be glad to but we’re expecting something in return. We’re not going to just roll over support a budget that would just be out there.”
Senator Peter Micciche (R-District O) stated that the Senate is ready for a budget document from the House.
Micciche: “It’s a struggle. We’re (Senate majority) hoping for the best on the House being able to actually get something across the finish line at some point. This has become Grand Central Station as disenfranchised House majority members, people that are reaching out to me to try to get with their leadership and help them understand that at some point they have to pass a budget. They seem to be focused on everything but what they need to be focused on to reach that result. Not only frustrating for us, we’re ready to go. My sub-committees are done, we just held-off on the close out meeting to see what their going to do. We’ve been ready to slap down a budget and and go into final negotiations for three weeks now.”
Micciche also questions the full body’s ability to meet the 90-day limit.
Micciche: “Politics is a team sport. I can see them sitting across the table from us and having to negotiate; but they have to negotiate on every, single decision-every day. Here we are on day 78 and we should have had the budget three weeks ago and we should be doing final negotiations right now and getting out of here in 90 days. And that’s going to be very difficult.”
Work on the budget document will continue on Monday, April 2nd with a 90-day session limit looming on April 16, 2018.
