Moderation in the governor’s office? Alaska deserves a more collaborative budget approach

The recently announced departure of top state budget official Donna Arduin was the latest sign that Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration is no longer trying to sail quite so directly against the winds of public opinion and, by extension, the Legislature. Following the demotion and then resignation of firebrand former Chief of Staff Tuckerman Babcock, Arduin’s exit as director of the Office of Management and Budget shows that the administration’s appetite for picking fiscal fights may be on the wane. Together, Babcock and Arduin were seen by many as the architects of an abrupt, across-the-board slashing of the budgets providing for some of the state’s core services. The administration’s “Permanent Fund dividend above all else” stance injected additional unneeded chaos into this year’s budget process. The extreme, poorly articulated approach, as well as the administration’s unwillingness or inability to explain how it was the best path forward for Alaska, was the primary reason for widespread public outcry against the governor and his surrogates.

It’s too early to say for sure what the changes in the governor’s office portend. After all, Arduin’s penchant for short stints doing budget work is well established; her term in California under then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lasted 11 months, and her 2015 position in then-Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Illinois administration was only half a year long.

But combined with the exit of Babcock, Arduin’s departure could well signal a shift toward a more moderate tack, as evidenced by the governor’s reversal of some of his most unpopular vetoes and significant moderation on planned cuts to the University of Alaska. If this is indeed the case, it would be a welcome development for the Legislature, which has so far had a rocky relationship with Arduin, Babcock and the administration in general. If the new budget director is more willing to engage legislators and explain the reasoning behind the administration’s fiscal plans, the relationship between Alaska’s legislative and executive branches may yet be salvaged, and policies that better reflect the will of Alaskans could result.

That’s a big “if,” however. The decision to select divisive figures such as Arduin and Babcock for top spots in the administration was, after all, Gov. Dunleavy’s call. He owns that decision, as well as their rocky tenure and the harm that occurred during the first nine months of his term. But he will also own what comes next. Over the next year, the administration should work more closely with the Legislature to responsibly lower state spending while providing a sensible and sustainable PFD. This time around, the governor must more clearly articulate his vision both for the budget and for the services the state provides, making a clear case that our state will be best served by his plans.

The shakeup of Gov. Dunleavy’s leadership team reflects the tumult of his tenure so far, but it also offers an opportunity to rebuild bridges burned between the executive and legislative branches. There’s still time for a more measured approach to the state’s budget situation — one that’s collaborative rather than adversarial, built on mutual compromise rather than brinkmanship and hostage-taking.

What happens next is the governor’s call. Let’s hope he chooses wisely.