(SitNews) Juneau, Alaska - Friday, the Alaska Senate passed a “fast-track” supplemental budget totaling $110.2 million in funding for urgent and unanticipated state expenses. 

“The fast-track supplemental budget is a good-faith effort between the House and Senate to fund the items we broadly agree on,” said Sen. Lyman Hoffman (D-Bethel) co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “As we continue progress toward solving the state’s fiscal problem, it’s important to pay our bills.”      

The supplemental budget includes $45 million to fund Medicaid through mid-May, $30 million for Community Assistance, $18.3 million to pay for an unanticipated increase in the prison population and growing inmate healthcare costs, and $24 million to fully fund the Alaska Marine Highway System.

HB 321 also deposits $30 million for the Community Assistance Fund for distribution in FY 19, transfers $4 million to the Alaska Disaster Relief Fund, and provides $5 million for the Alaska Permanent Fund to pay for increased investment management resources related to recent growth to the fund.

The bill also deposits an additional $25 million into savings realized from the state’s re-insurance program, and $5 million was appropriated to the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation to cover fees related to higher than expected fund earnings. 

Of the $110.2 million appropriated in HB 321, $91.9 are Unrestricted General Funds (UGF), $5.1 are Designated General Funds (DGF), and $13.1 are Other Funds.

HB 321 passed the Alaska House of Representatives on March 12th by a vote of 32-7. The bill was then sent to the Alaska State Senate for expedited consideration.

“This fast-track supplemental is the product of the House and Senate working together to come to an agreement earlier, rather than later, on some of the FY 18 supplemental budget requests,” said House Finance Committee Co-Chair Representative Paul Seaton, “The remaining supplemental requests from the Governor are still being analyzed and will be considered for inclusion in the capital budget, as has been the case in recent years.”

HB 321 passed the Senate on March 16th by a vote of 16 to 1. 

The bill is now on its way to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

Alaska Senate Majority
www.akleg.gov

Alaska House Majority Coalition
akhouse.org

 

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