Legislature(2025 - 2026)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/10/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB69 | |
| SB57 | |
| SB76 | |
| SB44 | |
| SB69 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 44 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 76 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 56 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 57 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SENATE BILL NO. 57
"An Act making appropriations, including capital
appropriations and other appropriations; making
reappropriations; making appropriations to capitalize
funds; and providing for an effective date."
9:44:02 AM
Senator Kiehl MOVED to ADOPT the committee substitute for
SB 57, Work Draft 34-GS1460\T (Walsh, 4/9/25).
Co-Chair Stedman OBJECTED for discussion.
9:44:26 AM
AT EASE
9:46:36 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Stedman asked staff to come forward to discuss the
changes.
9:46:49 AM
DAVID SCOTT, STAFF, SENATOR BERT STEDMAN, explained the
changes in the CS. He pointed to the Attachment A,
Attachment B, and Attachment C documents (copies on file).
He read from a prepared statement:
• Before I begin, I'd like to turn the committee's
attention to the attachments provided.
o These are all posted on BASIS and available
to the public.
• A little bit about the process? meetings with
governor's office, OMB, the departments, the agencies,
the university.
o With expertise of Legislative Finance
square4 data, information, and history
o In collaboration with House counterparts.
• Very generally Mr. Chairman, I plan to explain what
was added to CS1 - the bare-bones match-only budget we
introduced on March 31. Then I will explain the
maneuvers we are using to fund this budget.
• At a very basic high-level view: this budget adds
Two tranches of spending.
• This budget adds back 26 projects requested by the
governor with a total of $89m.
• This budget also adds a deferred maintenance package
currently totaling $36m.
o At your direction and recommendation Mr.
Chairman, we engaged with our counterparts in the
House and we came to an agreement that deferred
maintenance is a serious concern and liability
that needs to be addressed.
square4 Major Maintenance - $19m
square4 University - $5m
square4 MEHS - $1.4m not eligible: compete
against all other state assets.
square4 Courts - $750k
square4 Statewide - $10m
square4 Collaboration. We should all expect
that total to increase when the bill gets to
the House.
• Returning now back to the Projects added.
o As I stated previously there are 27 projects
added to the budget totaling $89m
square4 $46m in UGF -19 projects
square4 $34m in DGF 5 projects
square4 $9m in OTHER - 3 projects
o Point out that the approved projects are
funded at full request.
square4 Negotiate with the agencies --
squeeze as much UGF out as we could
9:50:51 AM
Mr. Scott continued address his written remarks:
o Notable projects are:
square4 Dixon Diversion
o AEA to get the FERC license for
the project.
o AEA and the Railbelt utilities are
in partnership.
square4 AHFC
o Rental Assistance for victims
displaced b/c of DV.
o Senior Housing
o Supplemental Housing
square4 Several IT (information technology)
projects out in the departments - allow
government to operate efficiently.
Hardware, software, networks.
o DOA
o LAW uses a reappropriation
o Labor and Workforce Dev.
o Dept. of Revenue
square4 Judiciary Courthouse Security
square4 Dept. of Public Safety
o Maintenance of Aircraft and Boats
o Equipment purchase
o Remodel of Fairbanks Post Evidence
Building
square4 AEA - Port Electrification for Cruise
Ship Terminals
square4 Dalton Highway Maintenance
square4 Renewable energy fund 6 projects
o Pelican
o Naknek
o Skagway
o Kwethluk
o Quinhagak
o Nenana
square4 AMHS vessel maintenance and overhaul
o $26m of DGF Marine Highway Fund
(Farebox revenue)
square4 Harbor Matching Grant
o Eliason Harbor in Sitka
o Aurora Harbor in Juneau
o Statter Harbor in Auke Bay
• Explain funding mechanisms we used for this budget.
o Reappropriations
square4 This budget reappropriates old UGF from
two sources
o Old and stalled projects at DOT
$47.1m
square4 Section 13 of the bill. Page
44.
o Old match highway and aviation.
$20.9m
o $68m UGF displaced.
o Increased the AIDEA dividend to the
statutory cap.
o AS 44.88.088 states that the AIDEA
dividend must be between 25 percent and
50 percent of the net income.
o The AIDEA board authorized a $20m
dividend this year. That is 30 percent
of their net income.
o 50 percent of the net income:
$12.5m
o These actions displaced $80m of UGF
• Mr. Chairman, I'll close by stating that this budget
has:
o $162m UGF $119m less than the Governor's
submitted budget.
square4 Denied $49m in Administration
requests.
square4 Of the approved projects we reduced by
$10m.
square4 Displaced $80m in UGF with the
reapprops and AIDEA
o Total capital spend is $2,903.0
• Standing by for questions.
9:58:28 AM
Co-Chair Stedman noted that there were no additions for
individual districts. The concentration had been on K-12
education major maintenance, the University of Alaska, and
the courts. The budget removed quite a few of the
governor's submitted projects and went back and
reappropriated funds from old projects. He explained that
the proposed budget changes were "a one-time maneuver," and
the budget for the following year would be more
challenging. He asked members to review the budget and
bring any amendments to his office by four o'clock in the
afternoon.
10:00:14 AM
AT EASE
10:00:22 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Stedman REMOVED the OBJECTION. There being NO
OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The CS for SB 57 was ADOPTED.
SB 57 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
10:00:52 AM
AT EASE
10:02:25 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Stedman handed the gavel to Co-Chair Hoffman.