Juneau -- "Alaska is Y2K - O.K.," said Senator Gary Wilken (R-Fairbanks). The Senate Finance Y2K Subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Wilken, completed its review today of the Governor Tony Knowles' $19.2 million estimate of the cost to fix the Y2K bug in critical State computers.

"The Alaska Senate is working with the administration to ensure that critical computer systems in Alaska are protected from the Y2K computer glitch," said Sen. Wilken. "The Senate Y2K subcommittee has worked to ensure that the special funds requested for this problem are truly for those systems that are critical to the citizens of Alaska," Sen. Wilken said.

In working closely with each State department, the subcommittee was able to decrease the Y2K funding request from the initial estimate of $19.2 million to $13.7. "The reduction of the request to $13.7 million is the best estimate we can make," said Sen. Wilken. "In reducing the request, the subcommittee worked with the latest cost estimates from each of the Departments. Many of the reductions are a result of the agencies learning more about the systems and the fixes needed," said Sen. Wilken.

"The subcommittee worked with the Administration to ensure that critical computer systems in Alaska are protected from the Y2K computer glitch," said Sen. Wilken. "The Y2K budget estimate requires a leap of faith for all involved. Neither members of the administration, their consultants, nor the Legislature will know the full costs to fix our computer systems until the work is done," Sen. Wilken said.

As each Y2K problem is assessed and tested, more options become known. For example, the Administration originally asked for $1 million to fix Y2K glitches in the Department of Corrections. But officials told the subcommittee that the Dept. of Corrections glitches may take just $12,000 to fix. The department won't know until it tests its systems at the end of February. If it does not work, Sen. Wilken said, the subcommittee is willing to amend the funding request back to the original $1 million requested for that department.

The special appropriation from the Constitutional Budget Reserve will lapse March 31, 2000. This window will allow the time necessary to make sure that all the vital computer systems work on the critical January 1, 2000 date.

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