Sen. Mike Dunleavy, R-Wasilla, held a press conference Wednesday in front of an Anchorage Fred Meyer store to announce his intention to offer a bill that would restore half the Permanent Fund Dividend vetoed by Gov. Bill Walker this year.<\/p>\n
In a prepared statement, Dunleavy said \u201cthe bill will be pre-filed as soon as possible, and I will ask for an expedited hearing when the Legislature convenes on Jan. 17, 2017.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dunleavy cast a strange scene as he announced his bill in the parking lot of an Anchorage store. The announcement was broadcast on Facebook Live, which showed shoppers stopping to watch and ask questions alongside reporters. One man in particular frequently interrupted Dunleavy with vocal opposition to the dividend veto.<\/p>\n
The $1,022 dividend is expected to reach Alaskans Thursday, but it could have been double that amount had Walker not vetoed some $700 million from the account that pays dividends.<\/p>\n
Walker said at the time that the veto was necessary to preserve the state\u2019s savings. With Alaska\u2019s state government operating at a multibillion-dollar deficit, it will soon need to use the account that pays dividends. Lowering the dividend this year ensures there will be more money in that account in the future.<\/p>\n
Walker\u2019s move was unpopular in many corners of the state, but the Alaska Legislature failed to muster enough votes to override Walker\u2019s veto.<\/p>\n
After the Legislature left Juneau, Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, launched a lawsuit to overturn Walker\u2019s move on legal grounds. That measure is still proceeding through the courts, and Dunleavy said he\u2019s \u201cactually looking forward to the outcome of the lawsuit.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hopes his intent and announcement will start a bigger conversation about the right size of government and get people talking seriously, months before the Legislature starts working.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s agree that we\u2019re going to have to reduce government and come up with a number first,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cWe can\u2019t even right now agree on a number, a size of reduction.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Alaskans can agree on that number, they\u2019ll be able to then consider what can fit inside that figure \u2014 education, transportation, health care, or some other item.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got into this as a result of being too dependent on oil,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to get out of this thing by working together and being transparent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dunleavy is not running for election this year \u2014 his seat doesn\u2019t come up for election until 2018 \u2014 but when asked if he is planning a run for governor, he didn\u2019t directly deny it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about any run,\u201d Dunleavy said of his proposal. \u201cThis is not about any election.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is unprecedented times,\u201d he said, \u201cbut we\u2019re hanging in there, standing in front of a store in which people are shopping, and we\u2019re going to get through this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 Contact reporter James Brooks at 523–2258 or james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com.<\/p>\n
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