Governor's spending plan would produce a deficit

The Alaska Legislature gaveled into session last week. The Legislature’s main duty is creating and passing a budget for the state. To do this, we start by considering last year’s budget and the budget proposed by the governor. I’d like to tell you a bit about the governor’s proposed budget for this upcoming year, Fiscal Year 2023, which starts July 1.

The governor is proposing a budget about $80 million more than last year’s budget, or a 2% increase, which is in line with the original assumption for inflation. Inflation rates have jumped much higher than previous years, but the governor’s prop...