House Finance reports out Senate Bill 57 capital budget, 6–4
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Summary
House Finance voted 6–4 to report out the FY25–26 capital budget (Senate Bill 57) with committee changes that shift funds toward deferred maintenance, school major maintenance grants and university receipt authority while reducing unrestricted general fund (UGF) use by $730,000. The committee authorized staff to make technical changes.
The House Finance Committee voted 6–4 on May 9 to report Senate Bill 57, the capital budget, out of committee with the committee’s substitute, shifting funding toward deferred maintenance and trimming the unrestricted general fund (UGF) contribution.
Representative Schrage moved the committee substitute. The motion as read asked that "house CS 4 CS for Senate Bill 57...be reported out from House Finance Committee with individual recommendations and authorization be given to the legislative finance division and the legislative legal services department to make any necessary technical or conforming changes." After discussion and objection-for-discussion, the roll call returned six yes and four no. The committee clerk recorded the tally as "6 yea, 4 nay."
What changed in the substitute - Added $19,000,000 for school major maintenance grants to fund the top nine projects on the DEED list, according to committee remarks. - Added $1,350,000 for Mount Edgecumbe’s top deferred-maintenance project. - Added $10,000,000 for statewide deferred maintenance and $5,000,000 for University of Alaska deferred maintenance; $750,000 for court building maintenance was also included. - Increased a tourism-related grant to the Alaska Bridal Industry Association by $2,500,000 and added $53,000,000 in receipt authority to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). - Committee reported achieving a $730,000 reduction in UGF; the committee’s substitute brought the UGF total to about $161,000,000 — described in committee remarks as roughly a 45% reduction from the governor’s original proposal.
Sponsor and committee comments Cochair Shrogy summarized the committee’s priorities and said the primary changes "revolve around funding to help address Alaska's deferred maintenance, including adding an additional 19,000,000 for school major maintenance grants to fund the top 9 projects on DEED's list," and listed the other additions. Shrogy also noted that "there were no individual CAMSYS projects added into this capital budget."
Action and procedural notes - Motion: "House CS 4 CS for Senate Bill 57, finance work order 34-GS-1460" moved by Representative Schrage. - Objection for purposes of discussion was raised and then withdrawn; Representative Johnson recorded a formal "no" during the later roll call and was listed among the four nays. - Vote: 6 yea, 4 nay; committee reported Senate Bill 57 out of committee. - Authorization: Legislative Finance Division and Legislative Legal Services were authorized to make necessary technical and conforming changes to the committee substitute.
Ending: The committee adjourned for a brief recess after the vote and resumed later in the afternoon to take up additional bills, including the payday-loan discussion.