The cost of living in Alaska is high and Alaskans know it. In fact, in a ranking of 250 cities around the country in early 2021, four Alaskan cities are ranked in the top 25 most expensive: […]
How to Raise Alaska’s Already High Cost of Living
Debunking the Myth of Alaska’s “40% Budget Cuts”
Click here to open a printable PDF of the report in a new tab. Alaska state spending, particularly the spending sustaining state government, needs to be reined in. Some argue everything that can […]
Letter of Support for SB 102 – Compact for a Balanced Budget
This is a copy of the Letter of Support APF provided to the Senate Finance Committee on May 18, 2021. Click here to open a printable PDF of the Letter in a new tab. […]
Webinar: Responsible Alaska Budget Q&A
Alaska is facing a budget dilemma, and as the years pass it becomes increasingly clear this financial emergency cannot be ignored. To help combat the crisis, join Alaska Policy Forum for a virtual […]
It’s Time for a Responsible Alaska Budget
By Vance Ginn, Ph.D. and Quinn Townsend Families in Alaska, whether in good or bad economic times, practice responsible, priority-based budgeting. They must make decisions, often difficult ones, on how best to spend […]
Webinar: Revising Alaska’s Constitutional Spending Cap
It’s no secret that Alaska has been spending beyond its means for years and that we are now facing a fiscal budget crisis. One way to address unnecessary state spending is by implementing […]
Alaska’s Growth in Medicare Spending, Ranked
Alaskans suffer from some of the most expensive health care costs in the nation. Medicare enrollees comprise about 14 percent of Alaska’s population and increases in Medicare spending from 2008 to 2018 have […]
Reduce State Spending to Solve Alaska’s Budget Crisis
By Ben Wilterdink This op-ed originally appeared in the Anchorage Daily News on July 26, 2020. As Alaska’s economy continues to slowly reopen over the summer, the next major challenge facing Alaskans is […]
Testimony on SB 97 – State Funding of Art
On March 5, 2020, APF gave the following testimony on SB 97, “An Act repealing statutes that relate to art works in public buildings and facilities and that require a set percentage of […]
Press Release: Constitutional Spending Limits Can Work, But Alaska’s Does Not
Please see below the press release for APF’s policy brief, “Tax and Expenditure Limits: A 50-State Comparison.” Read the brief here. Click here to open the PDF in a new tab.
Tax and Expenditure Limits: A 50-State Comparison
Click here to open the PDF in a new tab. Click here to download the Excel file of figures and tables. State Policy Decisions Affect State Competitiveness Over the past decade, Alaska has lost […]
“Navigating Alaska’s Fiscal Crisis” – A Tax Foundation Report
The Tax Foundation, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, DC, has released a detailed report titled “Navigating Alaska’s Fiscal Crisis.” In the report, author Jared Walczak begins by describing the situation in […]
For a thriving economy, government spend must come down even more
By Donna Arduin Kauranen This article was originally published in Must Read Alaska on December 11, 2019. One year ago, Gov. Mike Dunleavy submitted a budget representing the starting place for his budget […]
Press Release: APF Statement on Governor’s FY2021 Proposed Budget
Click here to view the press release in a new tab as a PDF. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Policy Forum (APF) issued the following statement in response to today’s release of the Governor […]
Press Release: APF Statement on FY2021 Revenue Forecast
Click here to open the press release as a PDF in a new tab. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Policy Forum (APF) issued the following statement in response to today’s release of the state’s […]
Press Release: “Well-Intentioned, but Poorly-Executed”: Law Firm Finds Serious Flaws in Education Ballot Initiative
Click here to open the press release as a PDF in a new tab. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska Students’ Educational Bill of Rights ballot initiative contains “a number of potential legal flaws” […]