Alaska Senate approves austere budget with $1,000 PFD ahead of final negotiations

Alaska Senate approves budget with $1,000 PFD amid warnings of lean times to come

Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, the Senate’s chief budgeter, speaks on the floor of the Alaska Senate on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media) The Alaska Senate approved its version of the state budget Wednesday, including a $1,000 Permanent Fund dividend and, for now, a $150 million surplus. But senators say they expect that surplus to evaporate in the year to come, and they’re warning of rough seas ahead. “It’s clear to me tha…

Alaska Senate approves pared-down budget draft while warning of ‘coming storm’ in state finances

Members of the Alaska Senate watch the tally board for the vote on the state's draft operating budget, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)Members of the Alaska Senate issued warnings Wednesday as they approved a draft operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Senators’ draft, which includes an estimated $1,000 Permanent Fund dividend for eligible Alaskans and a small year-over-year increase for K-12 education, also…

Alaska Senate approves austere budget with $1,000 PFD ahead of final negotiations

The Senate approved the lean budget bill Wednesday on a 16-4 vote with warnings of tougher fiscal times ahead.

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Alaska Senate approves pared-down budget draft

Members of the Alaska Senate issued warnings Wednesday as they approved a draft operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Senators’ draft, which includes an estimated $1,000 Permanent Fund dividend for eligible Alaskans and a small year-over-year increase for K-12 education, also cuts services. The proposal would cut proposed funding increases for early education programs, reduce funding for...

New bill proposes income cap, flat rate for PFD

Possible big changes to Alaska's annual PFD. A bill being proposed in Juneau aims to limit how much the PFD can be and who can qualify for it.