Alaska Common Ground
Summer 2023 Newsletter
Sustainable Fiscal Plan & Quality of Life:
Connecting the Dots
Greetings!

At Alaska Common Ground, we often ask ourselves what more we can do to raise awareness about the importance of a "sustainable fiscal plan" for Alaska and inspire the engagement needed to achieve this goal. Perhaps a key question we should be discussing more is: How might having a sustainable fiscal plan contribute to a strong economy and better quality of life? Something we'll be thinking about ahead of the next legislative session. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our newsletter. Have a safe and joyful summer!
Rundown of the Alaska Legislative Session
The Alaska Legislature adjourned the first regular session of the 2023-2024 legislative season on May 17, 2023. Because the Legislature failed to pass a state budget during the regular session, Governor Dunleavy immediately called legislators back into a Special Session on May 18, where they promptly passed a budget for State Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024). Much of the more significant or controversial legislation introduced in the first session did not pass - including proposed constitutional amendments regarding the Permanent Fund and the Permanent Fund Dividend. The Legislature also did not pass legislation repealing ranked choice voting, dealing with “culture war” issues, addressing changes to the teachers’ and state employees’ retirement programs, and many more issues. And notably, no legislation passed to make significant progress on a long-term fiscal plan.

One bill that did pass is Senate Bill 48, the Governor’s Carbon Offset Program and Carbon Storage program which allows state land to be used for carbon offset credits. The Governor signed this bill, and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources has started the process to develop program regulations. Click here for more information.

Here are a few informative articles that recap the session from the following news outlets:

There has been talk of the Legislature calling a Special Session to override the Governor’s veto of certain items in the FY 24 budget, and the Governor has hinted of a Special Session to address a long-term fiscal plan. As of this writing no Special Sessions are scheduled. 

The second half of the 2023-2024 legislative season begins in January 2024. Legislation introduced during the first half of the session can still be considered in the January to May 2024 session. 

Meanwhile, Alaska Common Ground will be watching to see if a Special Session is called this Fall to address a long-term fiscal plan or any Permanent Fund/Permanent Fund Dividend related legislation to determine if we can facilitate public discussions on these topics. Stay tuned!
2023 Annual Meeting Features
Discussion on Sustainable Fiscal Plan
Thank you to everyone who joined us on May 22 - in person at King Street Brewing Company in Anchorage and virtually from around the state - for Alaska Common Ground’s 2023 Annual Meeting. The event, which was live streamed for those unable to attend in person, was emceed by board chair, Dick Mylius. Over drinks and appetizers, we had good conversations followed by the business portion of the meeting, including a review of ACG’s achievements and financials and a sincere thanks to our members, corporate sponsors, and supporters.
 
Afterwards, Gunnar Knapp, Professor Emeritus of Economics and former Director of the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), moderated an engaging panel discussion on "Progress Towards a Sustainable Alaska Fiscal Plan” with our invited panelists Tim Bradner, Publisher of the Alaska Legislative Digest; Larry Persily, Publisher of the Wrangell Sentinel; and Nat Herz, Publisher of the Northern Journal who had a lively dialogue about the budget and fiscal crisis, the incremental progress achieved during the previous legislative session and some anticipated future developments. We’re grateful to all of them for sharing their time and insights with us. The meeting and panel discussion can be viewed here. Note: the panel discussion begins at approximately 14:25 minutes.
Climate Change Resources
Alaska Common Ground has held a number of events exploring solutions to the climate crisis, including one we cohosted in 2019 featuring Dr. Katharine Hayhoe - an atmospheric scientist who studies what climate change means for people and the natural environment, and helps communities adapt. You can find audio and video of her talk in Anchorage. We also hosted a series of events in 2021 discussing Anchorage's Climate Action Plan and how residents can take action and get involved. Click here for more information.

While we plan our next event on this topic for the Fall, please check out our resource page for ideas and information on climate action. Suggestions for topics, or items to include on our resource page, are always welcome!
One example of an action you can take this summer to reduce your methane emissions and extend the life of Anchorage's landfill is to take advantage of the following Municipal composting programs.
Support ACG When you Shop at Fred Meyer
Did you know you can now help Alaska Common Ground earn donations just by shopping with your Fred Meyer Rewards Card? You simply sign up for the Community Rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to ACG here. You can search for us by our name or by our non-profit number, HY670.

If you don’t have a Rewards Card, they’re available at the Customer Service desk of any Fred Meyer store. More information here. We’d be grateful for your support!
If you value Alaska Common Ground's efforts to provide respectful and relevant events and information on policy issues of importance for Alaskans, please become a member. Only together, will we advance an engaged Alaskan democracy. Please be sure to check out all the ways to support ACG here. As always, we are honored to receive your support!