ALASKA 

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/10_omb/budget/IndexEconomicStimulus.htm

As of October 13, 2009: 

Agency Reported Data:

 

Rank:

Funds Announced

$1,578,259,528

40

Funds Available

$1,189,669,521

41

Funds Paid Out

$207,453,610

50

 

 

 

Recipient Reported Data:

 

Rank:

Number of Awards

108

18

Funds Awarded

$260,027,473

16

Funds Awarded Per Capita

$379

2

Funds Received

$25,527,604

22

Jobs Created / Saved

287

31

Unemployment Rate

8.4

28


Notes: All Rankings are from Highest to Lowest.  For example, a ranking of 15 for “Funds Announced” means that the state had the 15th highest amount offunds announced. A ranking of 15 for the unemployment rate means that this state has the 15th highest unemployment rate.        

Terms defined by recovery.gov:

  • Recipient Reported Data: These data are based on data submitted by federal contract recipients to FederalReporting.gov between Oct. 1 and Oct. 10, 2009.  On Oct. 30, 2009, the final recipient federal contract data and the final data on grants and loans will be available. It is collected and updated quarterly.            
  • Agency Reported Data: These data com are based on weekly Financial and Activity Reports filed by federal agencies receiving Recovery Act Funds.              
  • Funds Announced: Funds that have been publicly announced as available to entities outside of the federal government.  Not all available funds are announced publicly. For example,  the funds going to a project started prior to the Recovery Act that are commingled with the project’s Recovery funds will not be announced publicly before being made available to a recipient).  The Funds Announced figure should not be viewed as the total funding that an agency has made available.
  • Funds Available (Obligation): The term used to describe when an agency informs the public of the release of money to recipients either immediately or in the future.
  • Funds Awarded: This is the amount of contracts dollars that will be made available to recipients.
  • Funds Paid Out: Funds that have been released from a federal agency to a recipient.
  • Funds Received: The amount of money each recipient received from a federal award.

Recent Updates

September 21, 2009:

Currently, a total of $1,521,300,000 in funds has been announced, $920,012,000 has been made available, and $185,016,000 has been paid out.  The Department of Health and Human Services has received the most funds paid out thus far – $70,641,000 – with $103,606,000 in funds made available.

There has been significant controversy surrounding the acceptance of ARRA funds in Alaska, especially with respect to funds associated with energy.  Former Governor Sarah Palin originally vetoed $28.56 million in federal funding to help improve the energy efficiency of public and private buildings across Alaska. However, in April, the Palin administration acknowledged the state legislature’s action to accept economic stimulus funds with passage of House Bill 199,  Senate Bill 75, HB81, HB113, and two legislative resolutions supporting receipt of the funds, House Joint Resolution 11 and House Concurrent Resolution 13.  

In May, the House and Senate finance committees held almost 20 public hearings to discuss and debate the stimulus bill. The federal economic stimulus appropriation bill, HB 199, was signed, but, Governor Palin did not accept the $28.6 million for energy funds and vetoed this portion. The Alaska State Legislature then voted 45-14 to override Governor Palin’s veto.

On August 10, 2009, Governor Parnell sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, providing required assurances to accept the $28.6 million in funds for Alaska and stated that he respects the Legislature’s authority to override vetoed state energy stimulus funds.  “I respect the Legislature’s right to override the veto,” Governor Parnell said. “Given today’s action, we have applied for the funds in the least restrictive manner possible. I strongly believe that local communities should retain the option to set their own building energy codes. These funds can be spent for a broad range of energy-efficiency and renewable energy purposes. I am committed to making effective use of these dollars to reduce energy costs for public facilities and to support ongoing energy-efficiency programs.”  The state has administered over $360 million for weatherization and energy rebate programs and an additional $125 million has been allocated to renewable-energy projects.

On September 10, 2009, a memo was circulated from the Office of Budget and Management outlining the key responsibilities of prime recipient state agencies to comply with the reporting requirements of Section 1512 of the ARRA.  
 

PREVIOUS UPDATES:

 

Executive Branch

 

July 1, 2009

Feds still push energy code - Op-Ed by Gov. Sarah Palin, Daily News-Miner, June 28, 2009

June 19, 2009

Energy code overreaches, Op-Ed by Gov. Sarah Palin, Daily News-Miner, June 2, 2009

 

March 20, 2009

Gov. Sarah Palin said March 19 she would accept just 55 percent of available stimulus funds—all for capital projects. In the appropriation bill submitted to legislators, Palin said she would accept only the portion of funding that would provide jobs and needed infrastructure improvements, according to a press release from her office. But the governor is actually only rejecting $288 million of the $930.7 million that Alaska could receive from the federal government—that’s just 31 percent of the available funds, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Palin later conceded she didn’t include the Medicaid funding from the stimulus in her calculations, the newspaper reported.

Gov. Palin submitted a FY 2009 federal economic stimulus supplemental bill to legislators Feb. 25 that requests authorization for projects. 

The “fast-track” supplemental appropriation bill aims to secure legislative authorization for infrastructure projects, roads, bridge repairs and airport work that may be funded under the new federal stimulus program. The bill would authorize more projects than would actually be funded, at least for now.

 

Alaska is expected to receive about $175 million for highways and bridge work, about $85 million for airport improvement, and $40 million for transit projects, most of which will go to the Alaska Railroad.

 

The State Transportation Improvement Program list includes several shovel-ready projects approved by the legislature. The supplemental bill adds to that list.

 

Because federal rules require states to obligate half the infrastructure money by June and the other half by February 2010, only projects that have gone through the engineering and design phase and have permits and rights-of-way in hand will be eligible.

 

The state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities highway and bridge group expects to obligate about 80 percent of the funds for these projects by June, and the remainder next February). The agency's airports group expects to obligate 100 percent of funds for aviation projects by June. Much of this money will go to rural airports.

State Certification Letter

Press releases and documents from the Office of the Governor and the Office of Budget & Management

Legislative Branch

July 1, 2009
Senator Gary Stevens July 2009 Interim Report - Seward City News, July 1, 2009

June 19, 2009
Rejection of energy stimulus funds deprives Alaskans, Op-Ed by Rep. Mike Hawker, Anchorage Daily News, June 10, 2009  
Budget Veto Pen Runs Out of Red Ink, Rep. Beth Kerttula’s Session Wrap-Up, June 3, 2009

April 21, 2009
The Alaska House and Senate approved a $1.8 billion capital budget April 19. The budget includes money for one-time expenditures for public works and state asset maintenance projects. The appropriations include $175 million in state general funds, $1.3 billion in federal funds, including economic stimulus money, and $321 in other funds, according to a press release from the House Majority Office.

The Senate also approved the $450 million stimulus spending bill April 15. There were a few changes in House Bill 199 approved previously by the House.  

Legislators nixed Gov. Sarah Palin’s plan to use part of the stimulus funding as a substitute for $250 million in state spending. KTUU  reported April 14 that Palin’s plan would take the money from the stimulus bill, but would use it to supplant what the state would have spent. That meant, for example, that schools expecting an influx of funds from the $93 million Alaska would receive for education would get no extra money, the station reported. House finance aid Larry Persily said while the state could be legally justified in approving Palin’s plan, “the question is does it meet the intent of the stimulus act. Is it good policy?” according to KTUU.

April 13, 2009
The Alaska House approved House Bill 199, which appropriates stimulus funds not associated with transportation, April 10. The bill—which includes more than $170 million for  public schools, $56 million for energy efficiency and home weatherization, $17 million for expanded unemployment insurance benefits and $7 million for public safety—now goes to the state Senate for approval, according to a press release from the House Majority Office. The approval came on the same day that Gov. Sarah Palin said she would accept the stimulus money if legislators agree to use some of it to replace state spending, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

April 6, 2009
The Denali Commission in partnership with the Alaska State Legislature and the Alaska Federal Executive Association has created the Alaska Clearinghouse for coordination of information and opportunities in Alaska related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, according to a March 26 press release.

The Alaska House and Senate have approved House Concurrent Resolution 13 to take advantage of all stimulus funding directed to the state. Gov. Sarah Palin has said she would not request some of the $930 million available to Alaska, and this resolution makes clear the legislature is requesting the funds. The House approved the measure 32-2 March 27; the Senate approved it 15-4 April 1, according to the legislation history. 

March 23, 2009
Alaska will receive at least $197.4 million in stimulus funds for Department of Defense projects, according to a press release from U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office. That funding includes $71.4 million for new military construction, as well as $126 million for 3,000 facility repair and improvement projects, according to the release.

 

March 19, 2009
The Senate Resources Committee on March 16 approved two bills aimed at developing renewable energy and reducing the cost of electricity in Alaska, KTVA reported. Sen. Bill Wielechowski, the committee co-chair, sponsored Senate Bill 121, which requires the state to retrofit its facilities to save energy and reduce costs. The bill, Wielechowski said, will help Alaska qualify for federal stimulus funding for state energy program grants, according to KTVA.

 

Resources Co-Chair Sen. Lesil McGuire sponsored Senate Bill 31, which establishes a tax credit program to incentivize development of the state’s renewable energy resources. Both bills were referred to the Finance Committee March 16, according to the legislative Web site.

 

March 1, 2009

 

 

According to the Office of Budget and Management, any expenditure from the federal stimulus will go through the legislature. However, Sen. Lesil McGuire introduced Senate Bill 130 to establish the Alaska Economic Stimulus, Stability and Job Security Task Force on Feb. 27. Under the bill, a nine-member task force would assess the money appropriated for Alaska under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and recommend to the legislature how that money should be used. The task force would be comprised of three House members, three senators, two members appointed by the governor, and one member representing the Alaska Municipal League. The staff of legislative members of the task force would serve as staff for the task force.

 

Legislation related to ARRA  

  • House Bill 199 - Appropriations of non-transportation stimulus. Approved version.
  • House Bill 212 - To modify state's unemployment insurance laws to redefine base period, Introduced April 1, 2009
  • Senate Bill 170 - To modify state’s unemployment insurance laws to redefine base period, Introduced March 27, 2009
  • House Concurrent Resolution 13  - Legislature requesting to take advantage of all stimulus funds.
  • Senate Bill 121 - Requires the state to retrofit its facilities to save energy and reduce costs.
  • Senate Bill 31 - Establishes a tax credit program to incentivize development of the state's renewable energy resources.
  • Senate Bill 123 - Supplemental Appropriations and Capital Appropriations
  • Senate Bill 130 - An Act establishing the Alaska Economic Stimulus, Stability, and Job Security Task Force, Introduced, Feb. 27, 2009
  • House Bill 155 - Authorize Economic Stimulus Participation, Introduced Feb. 25, 2009
  • House Bill 154 - Supplemental Capital Appropriations, Federal Stimulus Package, Introduced Feb. 25, 2009
  • Senate Bill 124 - Authorizes Economic Stimulus Participation,  Introduced Feb. 25, 2009
  • House Joint Resolution No. 11 - Relating to the federal stimulus package, Introduced Jan. 30, 2009  

Press releases

U.S. Congressional

Key Impacts