OPINION: Why Alaska should never pass a budget exceeding $7.7 billion in state funds
By Vance Ginn and Quinn Townsend – Alaska Policy Forum Introduction While revenue estimates for the state of Alaska hit a record high last fiscal year, this upcoming fiscal year 2024 (July 2023 – June 2024) is another story. The Fall 2022 revenue
Administrative bloat drives Alaska’s swollen education budget, deprives teachers
By Sarah Montalbano – Alaska Policy Forum The Heritage Foundation recently released its inaugural Education Freedom Report Card for the U.S. Alaska ranked 47th in the nation for high spending, given the state’s extremely
High cost of living makes an Alaska income tax doubly burdensome
By Jared Walczak (Tax Foundation) Alaska’s decision to forgo an individual income tax serves an important role in offsetting above-average federal income tax burdens in Alaska. At first blush, this sounds confusing. Alaskans face the same federal income tax
Alaska’s rising education expenses fueled by benefits and a growing administrative apparatus
By Sarah Montalbano – Alaska Policy Forum The Reason Foundation recently published the 2022 K–12 education spending spotlight examining school finance trends from 2002 to 2020. The Alaska data points, calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau, show
Murkowski helps Dems pass spending bill that includes $11M for LGBTQ special interests
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was one of 18 Republican senators who voted with Democrats to approve a $1.7 trillion bill to fund the federal government for the next year. The legislation includes 7,200 earmarks costing over $15 billion, including $11 million for
Sen. Hughes urges Alaska Senate Republicans to honor voters’ intent & form a ruling majority
Alaska’s current State Senate Majority Leader Shelley Hughes (R-Palmer) is urging Republicans to stick together and form a Republican controlled majority caucus for the upcoming legislative session. With the State Senate expected to be narrowly divided
Anchorage School Board Member: District must be held accountable, before seeking more money
The Anchorage School District, which has been mired in disastrous student educational outcomes over the past several years, should not ask state lawmakers for increased state funding without first being willing to demonstrate accountability for the millions
Sen. Hughes: Alaska’s Constitutional Convention Question is truly David vs. Goliath
Alaskans, I respectfully implore you to recognize that the flood of paid advertisements you’ve been hearing about a state constitutional convention may not be the whole story – and dare I say it is “spinning” the story to protect the power and wealth
OPINION: Alaska is in the midst of a great constitutional debate
Every 10 years the voters of Alaska have the chance to determine whether to open our state constitution up for changes. Our founders had the foresight to give us this option. “Defend Our Constitution,” the group using substantial amounts of dark
Breaking down how the State of Alaska spends its money
By Quinn Townsend – (Alaska Policy Forum) Alaska Policy Forum’s annual Budget Blocks are a simple, straightforward way to visualize how Alaska is spending its money and from which funds that money is coming. The size of each block corresponds to the
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