JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – An Alaska lawmaker is making one last legal push to put about $1,000 back in the hands of nearly every state resident for their share of Alaska’s oil wealth.
Sen. Bill Wielechowski was expected to argue Tuesday to the Alaska Supreme Court that Gov. Bill Walker last year exceeded his authority to reduce the size of the yearly checks by about half.
Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat, hopes to reverse the governor’s action after losing in superior court in November.
Walker, a Republican-turned-independent, last year cut the amount available for Alaska Permanent Fund dividend checks after lawmakers failed to agree on a plan to address the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit. The state, which relies heavily on oil revenue to fund government services, has been using savings to plug the hole, which Walker says is not sustainable.
Wielechowski, who was joined by former legislators Rick Halford and Clem Tillion in the lawsuit, argues the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. was required by law to make available nearly $1.4 billion from the fund’s earnings reserve for dividends, despite Walker’s veto.