Before the Alaska House took the floor of its chambers at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, House Majority Leader Charisse Millett spoke up in a press conference.
“I think it’s going to be an incredibly vigorous debate on the floor,” she said.
Millett’s prediction held true. By 4 p.m., lawmakers had managed to debate and vote on only nine of 31 proposed amendments to the state’s $8.66 billion operating budget.
That budget includes $639.6 million in cuts from the current fiscal year to Fiscal Year 2017, which starts July 1.
Lawmakers have focused on cuts within a $4.1 billion portion of the budget funded by the general fund. That figure is $1 billion lower than it was in Fiscal Year 2016. Federal money, fees for service and other state funds will pay for the remaining parts of the budget.
Some lawmakers have accused their fellow legislators of artificially lowering general fund spending by pumping up other state funds that can be used for operations.
Debate on the final budget bill was expected to extend well into the evening, after the Empire’s press deadline.
More than an hour was needed to debate a single amendment dealing with the restoration of $50 million in funding for the University of Alaska system. At the end of that hour, the amendment was defeated 13-24 despite arguments by legislators including Rep. Sam Kito III, D-Juneau.
“The more we decrease the budget for the university, the more we are going to push costs onto those who can least afford them,” he said.
Each of the first 13 amendments suggested on the House floor failed to garner the 21 votes needed to be applied to the budget.
Among those notions were proposals from the Democratic-led House minority to reverse funding cuts for pre-kindergarten programs (failed 13-25), cut funding for Juneau Access and other major construction projects (failed 13-24, Kito was in favor, Rep. Cathy Muñoz, R-Juneau, was opposed) and reverse cuts to assistance for the disabled (failed 14-24).
Republican amendments also failed. Rep. Lora Reinbold, R-Eagle River, was removed from the House Majority caucus last year for failing to vote with the majority on the budget. Since then, she’s proposed aggressive cuts to various state programs.
The cuts, including those offered Thursday, have been above and beyond those which even the Republican-led majority is willing to make.
Reinbold’s failed amendments included cutting 10 percent of the top-paid employees in the Department of Environmental Conservation and further cuts to the budget of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
“I’m a huge believer that we need to cut tens of millions, hundreds of millions,” Reinbold said.
Later in the budget debate, however, Reinbold said even her desire to cut the budget has limits, then voted in favor of an amendment restoring funding for programs preventing sexual assault and violence. The amendment failed 14-24.
Two members of the House were absent for the budget debates. Rep. Ben Nageak, D-Barrow, was ill. Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anchorage, was receiving treatment for cancer.
At press time, the House was expected to approve a budget bill at or shortly after midnight Friday morning. The Alaska Senate is expected to vote upon a competing budget bill Saturday.
With the two halves of the Legislature passing incompatible proposals, the two budget bills are expected to go to a conference committee to be reconciled into a bill acceptable to both houses. That process is expected to take the remainder of the 90-day Legislative session. Thursday was the 52nd day of the session.
• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com.
Rep. Lynn Gattis, R-Wasilla, left, talks with Rep. Tammie Wilson, R-North Pole, as the House of Representatives works on the state operating bill at the Capitol on Thursday.
