JUNEAU — The state’s 22 Legislative Information Offices will now be closed on Friday afternoons as a cost-cutting measure when the Legislature is not in session.
Juneau radio station KTOO reported the closing of the offices will save nearly $300,000. The closures began this Friday after the Legislature’s in-house administrative council voted 9-1 on Thursday.
Staff members in the remote offices facilitate teleconferencing so residents can participate in legislative meetings. They also serve as a contact for state government and sometimes even process applications for the state’s oil wealth fund checks.
The cuts come as the state looks for ways to close a multibillion-dollar budget deficit.
One lawmaker, Kodiak Republican state Sen. Gary Stevens, says they could look at closing the offices entirely on Fridays if this doesn’t do enough to address budgetary concerns.
