Juneau -- The Alaska House of Representatives Friday passed a House Finance Committee Substitute for House Bill 343, the Supplemental Budget bill. The Supplemental Budget pays for emergency situations, disasters, and other items which occur but cannot be predicted.

"We were fortunate that our total General Fund expenditure in this bill is approximately $9.5 million, well below the figure we had budgeted for unforeseen expenditures and far below the Governor's request," said Representative Eldon Mulder (R-Anchorage), Co-Chair of the House Finance Committee. "Fires don't know fiscal years. Neither do floods and heavier-than-normal snowfalls. This measure addressed those time-sensitive expenditures."

The Supplemental Budget includes full funding for the Power Cost Equalization (PCE) Program in rural Alaska and for pupil transportation across the state. It contains funding for snowplowing the Taylor Highway in Interior Alaska, as well as for roads around Nome and certain other areas of the state. It funds child care assistance programs and the operating costs of child care benefits programs within the Department of Health and Social Services.

The Supplemental Budget includes funding for the Alaska National Guard Youth Corps. It also funds increased travel for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to aid the effort to bring the National Ballistic Missile Defense System to Alaska, which could result in as many as 700 new jobs in the state.

The Supplemental also reappropriates some $3 million from the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) left over from the State's Y2K preparations. This reappropriation required a 3/4 vote of the House and will be used to complete full funding for Longevity Bonus Grants.

HB 343 passed the House 36-0. The vote to reappropriate funds from the CBR for the Longevity Bonus Program was 36-0. HB 343 now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Broadcasters note: Audio comments are available on the Majority Actuality line, 1-800-478-6540
= Eldon Mulder, 33 K = Eldon Mulder, 33 K
= Eldon Mulder, 33 K = Eldon Mulder, 33 K