From Juneau to You! April 9, 2020 ‌ ‌ ‌ Session: Capitol Building Room 417 Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 465-4930 Interim: 1500 W Benson Blvd. Room 328 Anchorage AK 99503 (907) 269-0174 Governor Dunleavy's Vetoes Dear Friends and Neighbors, On Monday, Governor Dunleavy decided to veto $210 million (UGF) from the budget put forward by the Alaska State Legislature. This move is incredibly disappointing for our people and our State. These vetoes pull from the FY21 Operating and Capital budgets, in addition to the 2020 Supplemental budget. We can see that more large-scale reductions are being proposed in areas of Education and Health Services (in particular, Medicaid). These sectors of the Alaskan economy already face a massive hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic - the Governor's vetoes ensure that they will find things even more difficult during this unprecedented time. The Legislature’s budget reflected the necessity to help our citizens, businesses, and healthcare industry, immediately. The Governor claims that Federal relief will cover an array of expenses for Alaskan government. However, I have been advised that currently, Federal stimulus packages are not intended to back-fill State Budgets. Even if back-fill could occur, it would take unnecessary time. Alaskans need help today, not in a few weeks or a few months. Senate Bill 205 Operating Budget I have included a non-exhaustive list of line-item vetoes proposed by Governor Dunleavy below, but you can find a full list at the link: [link removed] $30 million in Education and Early Childhood Development $36.7 million Regional Educational Attendance Area Deposit $12.5 million University of Alaska $100 million School Bond Debt Reimbursement $4.3 million Pre-K $1.05 billion transfer to the corpus of the Permanent Fund for inflation proofing $15.5 million Alaska Marine Highway $16.2 million AMHS crew quarters $31 million Medicaid $3.4 million Ocean Rangers $2 million Public Broadcasting $1 million Spill Prevention and Response $2 million Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery Grants $2.7 million Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation $1 million Alaska Recidivism Reduction and Recovery project $3 million Alaska Housing Finance Corporation Weatherization $5 million Alaska Housing Finance Corporation Homeless COVID-19 Response $2 million Alaska Housing Finance Corporation Special Needs Housing $2.7 million Alaska Housing Finance Corporation Teacher Health and Public safety Professional Housing $3.4 million Medicaid Services $4.7 million Designated Evaluation and Treatment $334,000 from Appellate Courts $150,000 Rural Real ID Implementation. Some Budget Items that were funded $99M to COVID-19 response and relief $135.6M to Alaska State Troopers $14M to Village Public Safety Officer Program $5M to Disaster Relief Fund $5M to Fire Risk Reduction Funding $34.8M to Pioneer Homes $54M to the Alaska Marine Highway System $1.26B to fully fund Education Foundation Formula $28.5M to Behavioral Health Programs $7.2M to Homeless Assistance Program $65M for Capital Federal Match Program to Highways and Aviation 2-11 Help Hotline Alaskans who need help or connection to services, including related to COVID-19 impacts, can dial 2-11 from their phones. You can also reach out via email to [email protected] or dial 1 (800) 478.2221. This service is managed by the United Way which has expanded the call center hours from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, due to increased calls related to COVID-19. Covid-19 Update On Tuesday, with 22 new cases, Alaska saw its highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases. Wednesday saw 13 new cases and one additional death, bringing Alaska’s total death toll to seven. In total 7,223 tests have been conducted in Alaska, with 235 confirmed positive cases. To date, 49 Alaskans have recovered from the Virus. These numbers are constantly changing and the best way to keep up to date with the most current information is to visit the Department of Health and Social Services Coronavirus Response website. Additionally, our chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, has been providing daily updates at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. which can be found on Governor Dunleavy’s Facebook page and on 360north.org. Governor Dunleavy also announced an amendment to a previous health mandate restricting elective medical procedures until June 15th, 2020 stating “all patients, providers, hospitals, and surgical centers are required to postpone or cancel all non-urgent or elective medical procedures until June 15th, 2020 to decrease the overall impact on the Alaska health care structure and preserve personal protective equipment.” You can read the full mandate here. This mandate comes with an additional mandate prohibiting “private and public gatherings of non household members, regardless of the number of people involved. This includes, but is not limited to, weddings, faith gatherings, graduations, and funeral events.” For religious services, the mandate suggests the use of live-streaming technology and “drive-in” religious services where people can gather but remain in their vehicles to maintain proper social distancing. For more information on these measures refer to the full text here. I know that these measures are controversial and difficult for many people to accept. We are living through a crisis unlike anything we have faced before and, as a result, the Governor is taking unprecedented action. I and many others have concerns over what medical procedures are deemed “elective” and “non-urgent.” I plan on inquiring about this issue and will be relaying the information we receive. I hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy, practicing proper social distancing and most importantly checking up on those around them. We are in this together, so I would encourage those who can call their neighbors, friends and family members (especially anyone you think may be struggling) to check in with them. If I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] and 907-465-4930. Enjoy this Holiday Season in a safe manner! I’m Senator Elvi, always..... “Representing Your Interests!” ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Jacob Tatum Chief of Staff Phone: 907-465-4930 [email protected] L. Keith Bauguess Legislative Aide Phone: 907-465-4930 [email protected] Megan Lukmak' Warren First Alaskans Fellow Phone: 907-465-4930 [email protected] Is the content of this email relevant to you? Yes Select No Select Alaska Senate Democrats | Capitol Building, 4th Avenue & Main Street, Juneau, AK 99801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected]