Alaska House sends disaster-relief bill to governor’s desk

JUNEAU — Seventy-four days into the 31st Alaska Legislature, lawmakers have sent their first bill to Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

In a unanimous 32-0 vote Friday, the Alaska House of Representatives approved a measure appropriating $150.3 million in federal and state money for disaster relief following the Nov. 30 Southcentral earthquake and in preparation for this summer’s wildfire season. Eight members were excused absent. Nine million dollars had already been allocated; Friday’s vote increases that amount by $141.3 million.

It’s the first bill to pass both the House and Senate this year, though both bodies have passed joint nonbinding resolutions.

According to state officials, Alaska’s disaster relief fund will be empty by April 1, and Friday’s vote — which followed an 18-0 vote in the Alaska Senate on Monday — will refill that fund.

“The disaster relief fund is projected to run out in a few short days, so it is important that we pass it out soon,” said Rep. Neal Foster, D-Nome.

Four programs use most of the fund: emergency housing, grants to individuals and families, state public assistance, and emergency management costs. Under state rules, the state may pay grants to individuals and families who are ineligible for direct federal assistance. Some Alaskans have said that federal assistance is falling short of their expectations.

Matt Shuckerow, press secretary to the governor, said he expects the bill will be signed by the governor next week after review and analysis by the Alaska Department of Law and the state Office of Management and Budget.

Though that means the signing will take place after the April 1 deadline, state law allows the governor to transfer money from other appropriations in order to cover the needs of a disaster. That money will be restored once the bill is signed.

According to the text of the bill, $73.5 million will go to the Alaska Department of Transportation, $67.9 million will go to the disaster relief fund for earthquake-related items, $7.9 million will go to the disaster fund for wildfire season and $1 million will go to the Department of Labor.

Before the House made its final vote, Rep. David Eastman, R-Wasilla, questioned whether the state might be overfilling the fund at a time when lawmakers are scrimping to pay the Permanent Fund dividend.

Not so, said Rep. Dan Ortiz, I-Ketchikan. If the state made it through the fiscal year by only spending $7.9 million on fighting wildfires, “that would be the least amount of money that we’ve put toward fire suppression in the last … 10 years or so.”

In addition, lawmakers expect more money will be needed to cover earthquake expenses.

“This is, just frankly, a down payment. We expect possibly $30 million to $40 million come to us in the regular budget cycle after the spring thaw,” Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, told members of the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month.

Members of the Senate Finance Committee asked during that same committee hearing for an accounting of sole-source contracts issued in the wake of the earthquake. According to a report provided by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, $7.3 million in sole-source contracts were issued after the earthquake, including a $3 million contract to repair the Glenn Highway at Mirror Lake.

Senate votes to upgrade judges

Also Friday, the Alaska Senate voted 19-0 (one member excused absent) to approve a measure turning two district court judgeships into superior court seats. The seats, in Valdez and Homer, are being converted at the request of the Alaska Court System. Nancy Meade, general counsel for the court system, said in a statement that “the change would allow the new judges to handle a greater variety of cases, thus ensuring that the caseload in the Third Judicial District is handled more efficiently and effectively.”

Both judgeships are vacant, allowing the switch to take place easily, Meade said. The Legislature approved a similar change last year when it turned one of three district court judgeships in Juneau into a superior court seat.

The measure goes to the House for consideration.