The changes to the House Republican Caucus over the past few years have been truly profound. The year I joined the legislature, one of my Republican colleagues put forward 300 budget amendments, not one of which was an effort to grow the budget. Now, few amendments are offered, and those offered may be just as likely to grow the budget as shrink it.
In years past, Republicans had a standing policy of not proposing increases to the state operating budget. Not only is the state operating budget already unsustainable, but budget increases make further cuts to the dividend even more likely. As a Republican, you would not be caught putting forward an amendment to increase the operating budget. It wouldn’t happen. You would have to get a Democrat legislator to do it for you. When you look at the list of amendments Republicans put forward this year, Republicans proposing budget increases has now become commonplace.
In years past, Republicans recognized that the budget put forward by Governor Dunleavy was better than the budget put forward by the Democrats on the House Finance Committee, and that it was a much better starting place for any budget debates in the Alaska House of Representatives.
Every year, Democrats on the House Finance Committee attempt to cut the dividend and increase spending compared to the governor’s budget. Every year, some Republicans vote with them to approve those recommendations. Most years, this single vote permanently removes the full PFD from the entirety of the budget process for that year.
In 2019, when Rep. Vance was still voting more conservatively in the legislature, Rep. Carpenter and Rep. Pruitt and I stood up and objected, and Rep. Vance joined me in voting NO (the vote was 24-13). You can watch the video here. Rep. McCabe did not join the legislature until 2021.
In 2021, when Vance and McCabe were still voting more conservatively in the Legislature, both voted with us to defend the full dividend. McCabe and I stood up and objected along with other Republicans. You can watch the video here. Vance and McCabe joined me in voting NO (the vote was 23-16). Underwood did not join the legislature until 2025.
In 2022, when Vance and McCabe were still voting more conservatively, Rep. Tilton and Rep. Carpenter and I stood up and objected to the PFD being cut from the governor’s budget. Vance and McCabe again joined me in voting NO (the vote was 22-14).
In 2023 and 2024, when I stood up and objected to pulling the full PFD from the budget, exactly as I had done in prior years, Republicans remained seated. You can find the video from 2023 here. You can find the video from 2024 here. The vote was 39-to-1 both years.
Last year, the first year I was no longer in the legislature, the vote to replace the governor’s budget was 37-0 because three Republicans (Moore, Prax and Stapp) were not in Juneau for the vote. You can watch the video here.
Due to their untimely absence, Democrats had enough votes to pull the full dividend out of the budget without relying on the finance committee. The vote to slash the PFD took place immediately after the finance committee’s recommendations were adopted, allowing the dividend to be cut and Rep. Neil Foster (D-Nome) to still be able to tell folks back home that he voted for the PFD. The vote was 20-17.
This year, for the first time in many years, the vote to replace the governor’s budget, and with it the full PFD, was 40-0. You can watch the video here. No Republican stood up to object.
Candidly, there was no fight for a full dividend this year. As I was not present, and no one else stood up to object, there was no need to even hold a debate. All 40 legislators gave their consent to adopt the Democrat’s budget. That is what it means to adopt a bill by unanimous consent.
