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For Immediate Release August 24, 2020
Contact: Melodie Wilterdink, (410) 725-9079, Melodie@AlaskaPolicyForum.org
SPECIAL REPORT: FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET BLOCKS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Policy Forum has released a special report visually depicting the state’s fiscal year 2021 budgeted expenses. These “blocks” proportionally represent the money budgeted for state agency and department expenditures, from the Department of Health and Social Services to the Office of the Governor.
The report presents five individual blocks, showing the FY 2021 enacted budget: total agency spending, Unrestricted General Fund and other spending — together and separately — and state spending per capita. This breakdown allows Alaskans to view the budget as a whole including federal funding, without federal funds, and as dollars to be spent per person on each department and agency.
“When we think about state spending, often the numbers are so large as to be incomprehensible for most us, who deal in dollars and cents, not millions and billions. The budget blocks take that into consideration and instead depict proportionally how much Alaska plans to spend on different departments and agencies compared to others, which really puts the state budget into perspective.”
— Quinn Townsend, Policy Manager at Alaska Policy Forum
As our lawmakers grapple with another budget shortfall and nearly depleted reserves, they must consider solutions such as a spending cap that will bring state spending in line with revenue and reality. These budget blocks are meant to aid stakeholders in understanding our current spending, evaluating options, and making responsible decisions. The full report is available at https://alaskapolicyforum.org/2020/08/fy-2021-budget-blocks/.
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Alaska Policy Forum (APF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank dedicated to empowering and educating Alaskans and policymakers by promoting policies that grow freedom for all. APF does not accept any form of government funding. To learn more about APF, visit www.AlaskaPolicyForum.org.