by Quinn Townsend and Vance Ginn With revenue forecasts as rosy as this year’s have been, the legislature’s passage of a very large budget for fiscal year 2023 (FY 2023) comes as no […]
Irresponsible Alaska Budget: FY 2023
The Best and the Worst of the 2022 Legislative Session
As is often the case, there was no shortage of bills introduced to the 32nd Legislature (which comprises 2021 and 2022). Not counting resolutions, legislators introduced 690. Those that did not pass both […]
Alaska’s Public Education Revenues, Expenditures, and Outcomes
Click here to open a printable PDF of this report in a new tab. By Sarah Montalbano and Johan Soto Introduction The National Public Education Financial Survey, annually compiled by the National Center […]
Anchorage School District Payroll Analysis, 2018–2020
This payroll analysis will examine the annual salaries, benefits, and total compensation for different groups of Anchorage School District employees in school years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The Anchorage School District’s searchable payroll database […]
Costs & Risks of Alaska Pension Changes
Experts from Reason Foundation’s Pension Integrity Project recently joined us for a 45-minute discussion on the costs and risks of changes to Alaska’s pension systems. You can watch the recording here (begins 04:30), […]
WEBINAR: Costs and Risks of Alaska Pension Changes
In 2006, the state of Alaska moved from one type of retirement system (defined benefits pension-DBP) for state employees to a 401(k)-style defined contribution retirement plan. The reason for this switch was concerns […]
Background on Federal COVID-19 Education Relief Funds
Alaska has received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds, most of which have gone straight to public school districts. Collectively to date, schools have nearly $401 million in COVID-19 […]
Testimony: Retirement Benefits
Alaska’s K–12 Spending Increase
The Alaska legislature is contemplating House Bill 272, a proposal for a $71 million/year increase in K–12 spending ($590/student in average daily attendance). Part of the justification for the proposed increase seems to […]
Video: Shouldn’t Unions Be Paying Their Own Employees?
Imagine for a second, that every day public employees report to work, collect a paycheck from taxpayers, and don’t perform any government duties. Instead, they spend their time working on private tasks unrelated […]
Bait & Switch: Does Anchorage School District Need 3 New Schools?
by Dave Donley This communication is from Dave Donley as an individual and not on behalf of the Anchorage School District or School Board or any appointed or military position he may hold. […]
Testimony: Senate Joint Resolution 301 Appropriation Limit
To view a printable PDF, click here. Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Holland, Chair Senator Shower, Vice Chair Senator Hughes, Member Senator Myers, Member Senator Kiehl, Member Chair Holland and members of the Judiciary […]
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 […]
Testimony on SJR 5 – Constitutional Spending Cap
This is a copy of the verbal testimony APF provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 30, 2021. Click here to open a printable PDF of the testimony in a new tab. April […]
Testimony on HB 141 – Appropriation Limit
This is a copy of the verbal testimony APF provided to the House Ways and Means Committee on April 27, 2021. Click here to open a printable PDF of the testimony in a new […]
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 […]