OPINION: Alaska Has a Responsible budget
By Quinn Townsend – Alaska Policy Forum The annual state budget has finally been delivered, reviewed, and signed as of mid-June 2023. For the first time since Alaska Policy Forum (APF) began releasing the annual Responsible Alaska Budget (RAB),
Alaska continues paying for transgender surgeries and drugs, while other states refuse
While dozens of Republican-led states are moving decisively to restrict or prohibit irreversible transgender surgeries, cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, Alaska continues to spend public money to underwrite these devastating practices, both for adults
OPINION: Plan to give Alaska lawmakers a 67% raise is both flawed policy and process
In response to the 67% pay raise proposal for legislators, I introduced Senate Bill (SB) 111 “Rejecting Legislators’ Salary Increase” last week. Not only is this legislation a responsible step considering the fiscal shortfall the Legislature faces,
OPINION: Cash-poor Anchorage can’t afford more bonding debt
By Rob Yundt & Jodi Taylor Recently, regional banks in the U.S. and one major international bank have either collapsed, are in crisis, or have been rescued by larger banks due to liquidity issues. Given these financial headwinds, this is a great time to
WARNING: Prop. 14 is a ‘Trojan Horse’ to raise Anchorage property taxes
By BOB MAIER – OPINION Proposition 14 on the April 4 Anchorage Municipal Ballot proposes to amend the Municipal Charter by removing the taxation on marijuana from the tax cap calculation. In Anchorage the terms for the sale and marketing for marijuana
Alaska’s Senate majority considers slashing PFD to add $250M to public education
Alaska’s Democratic-controlled Senate majority caucus is attempting to justify deep cuts to this year’s Permanent Fund Dividend checks in order to pump an extra $250 million dollars into public education, along with paying down massive amounts of
Do Alaskans get paid to live there? The who, what, when, where & why of the PFD
By ED KING – KING ECONOMICS GROUP Editor’s note: This article first appeared at King Economics Group. It is republished here with permission. Whenever I travel to the Lower 48, I usually get asked this question: “Do you really get paid just for
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
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
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