JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The House Finance Committee advanced a capital budget early Monday.
The bill includes $20 million for the Susitna-Watana hydro-project, about half what Gov. Sean Parnell requested for this year and next and twice what the Senate included. Some lawmakers have questioned additional funding for the proposed south-central Alaska mega-project, given the state’s pursuing a major gas line project.
The bill revised funding for a new power plant at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, trimming $13 million that wouldn’t be needed for the next couple years for debt service.
It also reflected a proposed withdrawal of $3 billion from the constitutional budget reserve to address the state’s pension obligation. It would need a three-fourths vote of each chamber.
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