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 […]
Webinar: Revising Alaska’s Constitutional Spending Cap
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” […]
Students’ Bill of Rights: “Well-Intentioned but Poorly-Executed”
Proponents of the Alaska Students’ Educational Bill of Rights ballot initiative have begun collecting signatures, but according to a preliminary legal opinion from the law firm Holland & Knight: “The Initiative is a […]
State Budget Woes: First Kansas, Now Alaska
By Joseph Coletti This article was originally published by the John Locke Foundation on August 22, 2019. Kansas has been criticized since 2012 for cutting taxes irresponsibly, despite a court-ordered increase in education […]
Alaska Should Learn from Kansas
By Dave Trabert As Alaska legislators ponder resolutions to the state’s budget challenges, there’s a lot to be learned from Kansas’ efforts to balance budgets under Governor Sam Brownback. Here’s the big lesson: […]
A Civil Emergency in Anchorage?
On July 24, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz announced a civil emergency in the city. This is only the second time in Anchorage history that a civil emergency has been declared. What’s the reason? Budget cuts. […]
Compensation Costs for Executive Branch Exempt Employees
In light of the recent brouhaha regarding State of Alaska Executive Branch exempt employees, we are making available the following list with names and the associated costs to the state of compensating all […]