17/08/2024
Legislators prioritized countless pet projects over the dividend this year.
If there was no PFD law on the books this would be yet another case of politicians putting special interests first, which is bad enough.
But legislators know that state law already defines the exact amount the PFD will be each year, which makes stealing money from the PFD to pay for special interests simply inexcusable.
When legislators are at the state capitol, surrounded by the beautiful people, they often forget about the people back home.
So many of the decisions we make begin with the idea that those back home don't know what happens in Juneau and don't care.
One senator in Juneau famously said the quiet part out loud:
"Alaskans are more worried about fishing and what’s for dinner than they are about the PFD.” (https://bit.ly/fishinganddinner)
On April 8th, legislators took the budget submitted by the governor, that included a full PFD according to state law, and they voted to replace it with a budget that made severe cuts to the PFD.
They did it when they thought no one was looking, and ultimately left you with a 2024 PFD that is now less than half of what state law requires.
Remind Juneau that you are watching today. Cast your vote now so that you can say in the future that you cast your vote for the legislator whose vote has always been to follow the law, even when other legislators crumpled under the pressure in Juneau.
