March 23

Today marks the 67th day of session. There are 23 days remaining before adjournment on April 15. Legislators are focused on oil and gas tax structures, operating and capital budgets, and pushing towards adjournment holding many hearings to get through the large number of bills still outstanding. Once the session adjourns this year, all legislation not passed ‘dies’.

We are focused on the FY13 Operating and Capital budgets right now, and are pleased to see so many university advocates take an active part in public testimony opportunities, as well as submitting letters and emails of support for university budget items. Keep up the good work! This support makes the difference in the outcome of our budget appropriations for both capital and operating funds, and legislators take note of what they are hearing from their constituencies, especially in an important election year.

FY13 Capital Budget

The FY13 Capital Budget is also underway, and includes funding for 'tangible' items such as buildings, deferred maintenance and research funding. The Senate Finance Committee is currently in possession of this budget and is working on recommendations prior to sending it over to the House. The capital budget is typically used as 'trading stock' in the final adjournment package between the House and Senate, and is usually one of the last pieces of the adjournment package at the very end of the legislative session.

The Senate Finance Committee members are keeping their recommendations close to the chest for the moment, and encourage supporters to send in their letters of support regarding capital budget requests. This past Wednesday night, an overwhelming number of university supporters took time out of their busy lives to spend three hours waiting to testify to the Senate Finance Committee on FY13 capital budget items. Thank you for your efforts. These will pay off in many ways!

FY13 Operating Budget

We are pleased to announce the Senate Finance Committee has closed out the UA FY13 Operating Budget, and the results for the university are very positive.

Thanks to strong advocacy efforts statewide, the Senate Finance Committee members chose to accept the House Finance Committee recommendations for the upcoming years' operating budget, to include the Governor's recommendations of funding salary increases, fixed costs and the Honors Program at UAA and UAF, as well as the addition of many increments requested by the Board of Regents.

Here is what the FY13 operating budget process looks like to date:

• UA Board of Regents submit budget proposal – November 2011
• Governor submits recommendations to legislature – December 2011
• House Finance Committee/House Floor action on operating budget – February/March 2012
• Senate Finance Committee action – closeout March 22, 2012
• Senate Finance Committee public testimony – March 28 (see schedule below)
• Senate Finance Committee action – after public testimony
• Senate Floor action on FY13 Operating Budget – towards end of session
• Conference Committee action just before adjournment April 15

Senate Finance Committee FY13 Operating Budget recommendations to date:

House Budget: Governor’s recommendations plus $4.3 million in state support for the following program areas: improving graduation rates ($1.3 million); engineering retention ($400.0 thousand); health/bio-medical – nursing, vet-med ($939.9 thousand); workforce programs ($749.1 thousand); Alaska research ($300 thousand); and additional legislative priority programs ($590.0 thousand).

The Senate Finance Subcommittee’s (SFS) proposed budget for UA is an $8.0 million (general fund) increase, 2.3%, above the current fiscal year (before one-time item reversals). The proposed Senate Finance Committee budget is $4.9 million above the Governor's proposed amended budget and $.6 million above the House budget.

Senate Finance Subcommittee Proposed FY13 Operating Budget (PDF): House plus $580.6 thousand in state support for: UAA ISER- Alaska education policy research ($250.0 thousand); UAF indigenous studies PhD and Alaska native knowledge network ($250.0 thousand); and UAS honors program ($80.6 thousand).

Wednesday, March 28
Public Testimony - Senate Finance Committee re: FY13 Operating Budget

Note: This is the last opportunity to participate in public testimony on the FY13 Operating Budget. Funding in the operating budget includes salaries, fixed costs and program expenditures. 

Note testimony will be taken only from local legislative information offices at designated times – ‘Offnet’ option available only to participants without a legislative information office in their communities.

Special note: Two-minute time limit per person. Testimony will be closed 15 minutes early if there are no further testifiers.

FY13 State Operating Budget public testimony
Wednesday, March 28 at the following times/locations:

• 8:45 - 9:45 a.m. Juneau
• 10 - 10:45 a.m. Kenai, Valdez, Kodiak, Seward, Matsu, Glennallen, Tok,
• 1 - 2:15 p.m. Anchorage
• 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Fairbanks
• 3:30 - 4:15 p.m. Ketchikan, Sitka, Wrangell, Petersburg, Homer, Dillingham,Cordova
• 4:30 - 5:15 p.m. Bethel, Kotzebue, Barrow, Nome, Delta Junction, Unalaska, Offnets