Protecting Your Rights: Serving Sand Lake, Spenard and Turnagain

March 30, 2020

In this issue:

• Operating and Capital Budget Passes

• Supplemental Budget Passes

• COVID-19 Updates

• Anchorage Election Update

• Community Events

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This weekend, the legislature passed the state’s operating and capital budgets, House Bill 205, in record time. After 68 days of work, we approved a budget that provides frontline emergency responders with the tools they need to keep us healthy and protects essential services. As we

continue to monitor the local and national response to COVID-19, we may need to return in the next several months to Juneau to address additional issues. Now that we’ve fulfilled our constitutional responsibilities, we’re hunkering down at the advice of public health officials to support our community's work to slow the spread of COVID-19. Moving forward, we’ll make sure emergency responders have the tools they need to be successful, and we’ll reconvene as necessary to maintain our commitment to Alaskans across the state.

Operating and Capital Budget Passes Legislature

The FY2021 budget provides critical funding that will allow the State of Alaska to effectively respond to the COVID-19 crisis, ensures that essential services will continue without interruption in the upcoming fiscal year, and funds a $1,000 Permanent Fund Dividend.

HB 205 approves $4.74 billion in unrestricted general fund spending, including:

$88 million for COVID-19 response efforts ($75 million for the Department of Health and Social Services; $5 million for the Disaster Relief Fund; $5 million for the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation; and $2.7 million for the public health services provided by the Municipality of Anchorage);
$151 million for the Alaska State Troopers and $14 million for the Village Public Safety Officer program to help make our state safe;
$98 million for Pioneer Homes and $21 million for Senior Benefits to make sure the elders who built our state live with dignity;
$1 billion to inflation proof the Permanent Fund so the fund won’t lose value over time, and $675.5 million for a $1,000 Permanent Fund Dividend for eligible Alaskans;
$120 million in capital project funding that will provide work for Alaska’s construction industry;
A targeted $30 million investment in K-12 education that will help avoid teacher layoffs and larger classroom sizes; and
$12.5 million to partially restore the University of Alaska’s budget, a move that helps avoid the closure of programs that prepare our best and brightest to grow our economy.

The Senate passed HB 205 with a 13-4 vote and funded the bill with a supermajority vote of 16-1. The House passed HB 205 with a 23-13 vote and funded the bill with a supermajority vote of 30-6. Because the House and Senate each obtained supermajority votes for the reverse sweep, Power Cost Equalization and University of Alaska scholarships are not threatened.

Supplemental Budget Passes Legislature

Last week, the legislature voted to approve the FY2020 supplemental budget, House Bill 234, to help pay for expenses related to last year’s wildfires, restore the governor's 2019 Medicaid vetoes, and provide $23.5 million in COVID-19 response funding. The COVID-19 response funds include $15 million for the Department of Health and Social Services and $8.5 million for coastal communities that may receive cruise ship passengers.

The House Minority refused to fully fund the supplemental budget, which required a three-quarter supermajority vote to fund the supplemental budget from the Constitutional Budget Reserve. In approving the operating budget in HB 205, however, a supermajority of both the House and the Senate approved use of Constitutional Budget Reserve to fund the entire supplemental budget.

COVID-19 Updates

Last week, the legislature passed Senate Bill 241 which extends the governor's public health disaster emergency declaration until November. The measure ensures essential services will continue even if the COVID-19 outbreak takes a significant toll on Alaska.

House Passes Bill Extending Public Health Emergency

After a House-Senate Conference Committee worked out differences in the versions of the bill that previously passed each chamber, the House passed SB 241 by a vote of 34-1 and the Senate adopted the changes 16-1. This bill takes several important steps:

Extends the governor’s 30-day public health emergency declaration to November 15;
Grants the Chief Medical Officer the authority to issue standing orders for healthcare providers related to COVID-19;
Ensures that first responders and healthcare workers receive workers compensation if they contract COVID-19;
Provides $10 million from the Disaster Relief Fund for response efforts;
Allows the Department of Community, Commerce and Economic Development to provide financial assistance to small businesses to help alleviate COVID-19 related costs;
Creates an expedited path to certify out-of-state licensed professionals to help address the public health emergency;
Halts evictions and foreclosures for Alaskans experiencing a financial hardship as a result of COVID-19;
Ensures that government COVID-19 assistance payments, including Permanent Fund dividends, are not counted as income when determining an individual’s eligibility for means-tested programs;
Protects Alaskans experiencing COVID-19-related financial hardship from defaulting on state loans and having their assets seized;
Encourages the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development to purchase Alaska seafood for distribution to food banks, soup kitchens and Alaska Native organizations;
Directs the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to provide financial assistance to address homelessness caused by COVID-19 and provides $5 million for additional grants for that purpose;
Allows the Lieutenant Governor to direct Alaskans to vote by mail if in-person voting is a danger to public health; and
Extends the application period for the 2020 dividend to April 30, 2020 and ensures Alaskans who were out-of-state when the disaster was declared will remain eligible for their PFDs if they follow travel recommendations and remain out-of-state.

The bill now goes to the governor for his signature.

CARES Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act passed by Congress last week will provide wage replacement including support for gig workers and freelancers who aren’t typically eligible for unemployment benefits. It also provides cash payments to every American who pays taxes or receives Social Security, grants for small businesses and much, much more.

Read a summary of the CARES Act here.

Ongoing COVID-19 Updates and Information

Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services (HSS) - COVID-19 Overview
Anchorage Health Department - Novel Coronavirus Information
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) - Cases in the U.S.

Anchorage Election Update

On March 23, the Municipal Clerk announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only one of the six Anchorage Accessible Vote Centers will open as scheduled on Monday, March 30 for the April 7, 2020 Regular Municipal Election.

The City Hall Accessible Vote Center is planning to open as scheduled on March 30 as follows:

Monday – Friday, March 30 – April 6, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday, April 7, 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

If voters have questions about voting or the election, voters should call the Voter Holtine at 243-VOTE(8683). The Call Center Team can provide voters options to vote without risking their health, the health of Election Workers or our community.

Community Events

Mark your calendars for this upcoming event:

Facebook Live – Virtual Yoga

Follow along as expert yoga instructors from The Alaska Club and Studio Hot Yoga lead a uniquely developed style of yoga that strengthens and empowers for ultimate relaxation; including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures.

Find it here: https://www.facebook.com/TheAlaskaClub/live/.

When: Tuesday, March 31 from 9:00 – 10:00 AM

For more information and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.