Sitka Republican state senator Bert Stedman missed some of the final days of this past legislative session attending his daughter’s university graduation in Montana. Stedman, who represents Petersburg in the state senate, explains Alaska is not out of its fiscal crisis. He says if he had been there he would have opposed last minute spending added into state budgets to get agreement on the spending plan and bring about an end to the session. The senator was in Petersburg for the Little Norway Festival and he stopped by KFSK. Joe Viechnicki asked him about the end of session and his resolution on co-management for sea otters in Southeast Alaska.
State senator Bert Stedman plans to re-introduce a smaller percent of market value draw from the Alaska Permanent Fund next year. He also wants a statewide vote on enshrining the full Permanent Fund in the state constitution to prevent the legislature from spending down the earnings reserve.
