Governor uses State of the State to advocate for improving public safety, food security

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - Gov. Mike Dunleavy used his fourth State of the State address on Tuesday to advocate for a long list of legislative priorities, including improving public safety, food security and resolving the long-term future of the Permanent Fund dividend.

“We can never lose sight of the future, and we certainly cannot lose sight of why the people of Alaska sent us all here,” Dunleavy said.

Across the aisle, legislators approved of the governor’s optimistic tone and calls for unity and collaboration. Rep. Chris Tuck, D-Anchorage, said it made a welcome change.

“I’m thankful that the governor is coming on board and working with the Legislature, it’s taken a few years to get there,” he said.

The governor wants the Legislature to appropriate $30 million more for the Department of Public Safety and to work on his People First Initiative.

“The good news for Alaska is that our overall crime rate has declined significantly in the past couple years,” Dunleavy said. “The bad news is that our rates of domestic violence and sexual assault remain stubbornly high.”

Tuck said he wanted to hear plans for greater investment in drug and alcohol rehabilitation, noting a shortage of beds in Alaska. Rep. Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, was interested in learning more about the “through one door” initiative, which the governor says will allow people seeking emergency medical, housing and legal help to visit one facility.

“I’m really excited about that,” she said.

A focus of the governor’s address was improving Alaska’s food security through legislation, which is still being drafted, and an administrative order, which will be issued soon.

The governor said state prisons, schools and Pioneer’s Homes would buy Alaska Grown produce and he has legislation intended to increase Alaska’s agricultural production.

“Because, and make no mistake, at some future date, there will be another disruption to our supply chain,” Dunleavy said.

The Legislature formed an “Alaska Grown Caucus” on Wednesday to focus on similar issues. Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, will head that caucus in the Senate and said empty grocery store shelves are an issue across the state.

“I do think that is on the forefront of a lot of Alaskans’ minds right now,” she added about Alaska’s fragile supply chain.

Senate President Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, said he approves of virtually all of the governor’s legislative plans, but he stressed that the administration would need to work closely with the Legislature to help make significant statutory changes.

“Those big pieces don’t move by themselves,” Micciche said. “You can’t drop a bill and have it magically pass.”

Other legislators hoped the governor’s calls for more spending in K-12 education and for the University of Alaska were not just an election-year pitch to voters. Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, said those calls marked a big shift for the governor from three years ago when he pushed for big budget cuts.

Dunleavy highlighted that the state’s improved fiscal situation has made it possible to invest more in core services. Some in the Legislature have urged caution on relying on revenue from high oil prices and an influx of federal funds.

Sen. Tom Begich, D-Anchorage, joined other lawmakers in saying that enacting a long-term fiscal plan is a priority, but he was frustrated with Dunleavy’s criticisms of President Joe Biden’s energy policies, especially with billions of dollars coming to Alaska from the federal infrastructure bill.

“I was deeply disappointed in him literally trashing the Biden administration,” Begich said. “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

Former Gov. Bill Walker, who is running against Dunleavy in November, took to social media to criticize the governor for changing tack after pushing for big budget cuts in 2019.

“Words without actions to match are empty and meaningless, and that’s the disconnect we saw tonight in the State of the State,” Walker said on Tuesday about Dunleavy’s address.

Wasilla Republican Rep. Chris Kurka, who has also filed to run filed to run for governor, was similarly critical.

“I wish it wasn’t just empty rhetoric, I’ll leave it at that,” Kurka said.

The state of Alaska is still waiting for guidance on how billions of dollars of federal infrastructure funding can be spent. That will take time to unpack, said Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, who manages the operating budget in the Senate.

With new revenue proposals stalled, there are also questions how the governor’s programs can be paid for.

“I have no idea,” Stedman said. “The budget has been flat for years. Efficiencies have been squeezed, and squeezed, and squeezed.”

Micciche suggested Alaska faces a “chicken and egg issue” of needing to fix its long-term fiscal situation while also needing to invest more to fix social problems.

“We have a lot of work to do that has to be done constitutionally and we have some things that really need to be done to fix Alaska,” Micciche said.

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