Alaska Senate Approves $248M Capital Budget

0:00Alaska's Cine Finance Committee just greenlit a capital budget draft, packing $248 million in unrestricted funds, way more than the governor's December pitch by $88 million. The big push, fixing up crumbling schools and state buildings statewide, with about $100 million zeroed in on those dire repairs. Senator Birdsteadman from Sitka, the top budget guy, calls this roughly half of what he'll fight for in the full legislature. They're sticking close to the governor's priority lists to spread the cash fair, dodging pet projects from lawmakers. It's all about tackling massive deferred maintenance that's powered up for years. Folks are highlighting how this hits schools hard. $57 million for K-12 major fixes covering the top 15 projects on. The state's list, except the partial $5 million for Galena's $36 million school Reno, rural spots, especially poor native districts, gripe that the ranking system screws them without cash for paperwork.

1:00Meanwhile, the draft hooks up three rural schools with tank farmer payers, $12 million to rebuild Stephens' fire wreck school from last, year and $14 million for Mount Etcum, Highs Awful Conditions. It also funds workforce training for oil and pipeline jobs as drilling ramps up. But Anchorage Senators push for $25 million on the port, got shot down to keep school money intact. This bill is now cruising to a full senate vote, aiming to lock in real fixes before funds dry up, keeping eyes on how they balance statewide needs. Without short-changing the bush, that's your update from Anchorage News today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.