Press Release: Senate Passes Capital Budget

News from the Senate Majority
Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: 907/465-4582
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

Senate Passes Capital Budget

Meets Five Year Plan, Fixes Schools and Roads

For Immediate Release: May 6, 1998 Contact: Senator Bert Sharp at (907) 465-3004.

Juneau -- The Alaska State Senate Wednesday passed SB 231, the state capital budget, by a vote of 14 to 6 meeting the Republican-led Majority’s Five Year Plan spending target. This was the second of five parts comprising the Majority’s overall capital budget that fixes schools, pays for new schools, and repairs state facilities.

Legislation already enacted provided $86 million dollars towards new prison facilities. Legislation yet to be passed includes a school debt reimbursement measure, a bonding package focusing on deferred maintenance, an airport expansion bill, and a rural development bill.

Senator Bert Sharp, Co-Chair of Senate Finance, said the budget considers the overall needs of Alaskans across the state. "The Republican-led Majority’s commitment this year was to ensure the educational needs of our children and to get a good start on deferred maintenance. The capital budget package adds at least $313 million to repair and pay for schools. Of that amount, $63 million was included in Senate Bill 231 that passed today. The bill also adds $50 million to maintain University of Alaska campuses," said Sharp.

"An important part of this bill is the substantial increase in transportation funding," said Sharp. "Good roads, airports, and harbors are critical to a strong economy and jobs for Alaskans."

"Between the Governor’s FY 99 capital budget and FY98 supplemental, he proposed a budget requiring $152 million of state general funds. Since our capital budget spending target was only $85 million dollars this year, we decided to fund some very important projects, such as harbors, through a bonding package paid for over a seven year period," said Sharp.

Sharp noted that the FY 99 capital budget is again designed to secure and optimize federal and non-state matching fund sources. "A lot of hard work has gone into creating a budget that is fiscally responsible and captures available federal funds," said Sharp.

The Senate Finance Committee’s version of the capital budget includes:

More than $730 million in transportation funding including:

$384 million for roads and highways, with

$224 million for National Highway System projects, up from $99 million in FY 98;

$95 million for Community Transportation Program projects, up from $52 million in FY 98;

$29 million for other statewide surface transportation projects;

$22 million for Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Study projects; and

$14 million in Trails and Recreational Access projects.

$314 million for aviation projects, including

$179 million for the Anchorage International Airport Expansion;

$103 million for rural airports;

$32 million for other Anchorage and Fairbanks International Airport projects

$32 million for federally funded demonstration projects, including funds for the

Ketchikan to Gravina Island bridge;

Ketchikan shipyard and drydock; and

Southeast feeder ferry acquisitions

$53 million for Village Safe Water Grants and Municipal Matching Grants for sewer and water, fully funding the department’s request;
$32 million for urban and rural housing needs, including senior citizen housing, public housing and low income weatherization.

The bill also includes a $175 million AHFC bonding budget proposal for the following:

$63 million for schools, including

$54 million for rural school deferred maintenance; and

$9 million for a new school

$50 for University deferred maintenance
$28.5 million for Harbor and Armory projects, matching federal and municipal dollars, including

$14.5 million state funds to bring the Seward, Kodiak and Homer harbors to a condition where the cities will accept transfer from the State.

$10.3 million state funds to make major improvements to 5 harbor used heavily by commercial fisheries (Chignik, King Cove, Unalaska, St Paul, and St George)

$3.6 million to leverage federal dollars for the Nome and Juneau armories

$12.5 million for health clinic and juvenile detention facilities
$4 million for statewide ADA compliance projects
$17 million for other state buildings and maintenance

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= Bert Sharp, 69 K