Speaker of the Alaksa House of Representatives Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, speaks to lawmakers on Jan. 18, 2022. In a statement Wednesday the House Majority Coalition announced a $1,300 boost to this year’s Permanent Fund Dividend. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

Speaker of the Alaksa House of Representatives Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, speaks to lawmakers on Jan. 18, 2022. In a statement Wednesday the House Majority Coalition announced a $1,300 boost to this year’s Permanent Fund Dividend. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

House leadership proposes $1,300 ‘energy relief check’

Payment would add to this year’s dividend

As the state’s budget starts to take shape, the House Majority Coalition Wednesday proposed issuing an additional $1,300 with this year’s Alaska Permanent Fund dividend in a one-time “energy relief check.”

In a statement, the coalition said the checks will help supplement Alaskans amid rising fuel costs, record inflation and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With the influx of new revenue, we are in a position to provide an Energy Relief Check to Alaskans and that is exactly what the House Coalition intends to do,” said House Speaker Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak.

For ease of distribution, checks would be included with this year’s dividend, with the qualifications for the Energy Relief Check being the same as the permanent fund dividend, according to coalition spokesperson Joe Plesha. Lawmakers have offered various proposals for this year’s PFD, but budget bills are still being finalized, and are subject to change by floor vote.

[Delegation urges energy production following State of the Union]

The House Finance Committee is taking public comment Thursday and Friday at 1:30 p.m. on versions of the operating and mental health budgets as finance committees in both bodies start to refine this year’s budget bills. The Senate Finance Committee has previously heard public testimony on proposals for this year’s PFD, where several callers chastised lawmakers for not paying dividends according to any set formula.

Lawmakers have been trying to reform the state’s dividend formula for years and many have coalesced around some version of a 50-50 split of the state’s annual draw from the Alaska Permanent Fund, with half going to the PFD.

In a statement, Gov. Mike Dunleavy noted the coalition cited the same high revenue forecasts the governor has used to argue for paying a larger PFD.

“For months now, I have been pointing out that rising oil prices are benefitting government finances but are hurting Alaskans,” Dunleavy said. “For years I have been asking the Legislature to either follow the statutory PFD formula or to change it with the approval of the people.”

Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.

More in News

The Kenai Peninsula College main entrance on Aug. 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Chiappone and Dunstan to speak at the KPC Showcase

Kenai Peninsula College continues its showcase with two new speakers this week and next

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, talks about issues of concern regarding the proposed merger of supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons during a floor speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. (Screenshot from official U.S. House of Representatives video feed)
Begich leads in early results, but Alaska’s U.S. House race won’t be immediately decided

About 245,000 ballots had been counted by 11:32 p.m., and Peltola trailed by about 5 percentage points

The Alaska governor’s mansion on Wednesday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is considered a contender for a post in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Election summary: Trump wins, GOP takes over U.S. Senate, Alaska may get new governor

Begich and repeal of ranked choice voting narrowly lead; GOP may lose control of state House.

Nesbett Courthouse in downtown Anchorage on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Voters line up at the polling site at Anchorage City Hall on Nov. 4, 2024. City Hall was one of the designated early voting sites in Alaska’s largest city. It is not a designated site for Election Day voting. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Republicans lose two seats in state House, increasing odds of leadership switch

Rural Alaska precincts had reported few results by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Donald Trump won or was leading as of Wednesday morning in all seven swing states in the 2024 presidential election. (Doug Mills / The New York Times)
Donald Trump returns to power, ushering in new era of uncertainty

He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Trump verges on victory, picking up Pennsylvania

Donald Trump has captured Pennsylvania, the biggest prize of the seven battleground… Continue reading

Signs and supporters line the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Unofficial results for the 2024 general election

Preliminary, unofficial election results as of 9:55 p.m.

Poll worker Carol Louthan helps voters submit ballots at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Bjorkman, Ruffridge, Elam and Vance lead in election night results

Several residents said that they came out to vote because they knew this election was “a big one.”

Most Read