Alaska House rejects Senate's version of operating budget, sending it to conference committee

Friday afternoon the Alaska House of Representatives rejected the Senate’s version of the operating budget. The budget will now move to a conference committee.

Many lawmakers referenced the $1.2 billion deficit created by a $3,000 PFD and an unbalanced budget as their reason for a no vote.

The Senate voted in favor of an

on Wednesday, May 1 by a vote of 19-1. The budget allots $4.3 billion in unrestricted general fund spending for state and agency operation, a $259 million reduction in state spending. $1.9 billion in the Senate's budget is dedicated to the permanent fund dividend payout, but the bill does not include a funding mechanism to pay for it.