Dunleavy strong-arms House members with secret budget threats, promises

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is strong-arming House members with secret promises and threats about what he will or will not veto to get them to vote to approve the Senate’s reckless budget. Alaskans need to know what he is telling legislators to try to get them to do his bidding.

Dunleavy sees this as his chance to get a big dividend and boost his reelection campaign, ignoring the financial implications for the state.

No prudent House legislator will vote for the $3.6 billion Senate payout.

Anchorage Rep. Zack Fields says that no one in the senate expected the House to approve its version of the budget, which includes the giant dividends—a $3.6 billion vote-buying scheme.

"But after they sent the budget over here the governor concluded a massive dividend could be his political salvation even though it defunds education and creates a massive deficit that will force devastating cuts next year even if oil is $100/barrel. So in effect, we’d be locking in Arduin-scale cuts with a massive structural deficit."

The comment by Fields related to education refers to the Senate removal of forward funding for education a year in advance. The Senate budget would fund education for the fiscal year that starts in July.

Reps. Bart LeBon and Steve Thompson are in a key position. They are sensible and responsible legislators.

But Fields says Dunleavy "claims he has flipped Bart, Steve, and James Kauffman to 'yes' on concurrence by promising to veto the energy relief check and by promising not to veto University funding."

"This reported promise is a major reason the vote has been delayed. I kind of doubt Bart and Steve are so gullible to vote to defund education, create a massive deficit, and pass a giant dividend that will probably create a fiscal crisis for a generation when it is antithetical to all the fiscally responsible things they’ve fought for. But I think it should be reported the governor is telling people this is how he’s flipped their votes."

"I think if Alaskans were aware that Dunleavy is pushing for this incredibly destructive budget that will defund education and wreck our finances for a generation, frankly they’d be outraged."

I have asked LeBon and Thompson for comment, but have yet to hear back from them regarding the reported statements that they have made a deal with Dunleavy.