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
Alaska in 2023: Trends, predictions and prescriptions
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a talk given for the Valley Republican Women of Alaska’s Jan. 19 meeting in Wasilla. I want to address a few major trends and developments in Alaska as they relate to our population, education and political
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
Living in the chaos of post-constitutionalism
The late, great conservative columnist Joe Sobran, who edited the National Review when it actually was a conservative publication, called our culture “Post-Constitutional America.” That was nearly 30 years ago. Sobran knew it went back a long way. We have
Confusing Ranked Choice Voting overburdens Alaska voters & may dampen turnout
By Quinn Townsend and Sarah Montalbano – Alaska Policy Forum The ideal election ballot makes choices clear and preferences easy to express. In Alaska, unfortunately, the state’s new ranked-choice voting (RCV) system can be a complicated disincentive.
REPORT CARD: Alaska ranks poorly on educational freedom
A new report looking at educational freedom in all 50 states found that Alaska is near the bottom of the stack. Published Sept. 9 by the Heritage Foundation, the Education Freedom Report Card serves as a guide for assessing educational freedoms in each state.
How to combat Alaska’s soaring health care spending
By Aubrey Wursten – Alaska Policy Forum In a conclusion that has become predictable, a recent study by peer-reviewed journal Health Affairs found that when compared to all states, Alaska once again had the highest health spending per capita.
Pro-abort climate alarmists claim victory in decision to shutter Alaska’s largest coal plant
A prominent and increasingly influential group of radical pro-abortion climate activists in Alaska are lavishing praise and taking credit for the June 27 decision by the Golden Valley Electric Association Board (GVEA) to decommission Alaska’s largest
Rep. McCabe’s rebuttal to Alaska legislators who voted against concurrence on state budget
The budget process in the Alaska Legislature is a wild time. The House Finance Committee develops a budget based on finance subcommittee input as well as input from the governor’s budget and the various departments. The budget then goes to the House
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