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Committee reviews workforce investments, cruise port allocations and other Senate additions including purchase of SitkaStratton Library
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Summary
David Scott outlined workforce investments (CDL center in Wasilla, AVTEC expansion, pipeline training upgrades), cruise port electrification and allocations from the head tax, $5.3M for renewable energy projects, and a $2M judiciary purchase of the Stratton Library in Sitka.
David Scott told the House Finance Committee the Senate package includes a set of workforce and infrastructure investments and several language-directed allocations.
On workforce development, Scott said the Senate used dividend receipts to fund four projects: $3,000,000 for a commercial driver's license and driver training center in Wasilla; $3,000,000 for equipment upgrades and program expansion at AVTEC (Alaska Vocational Technical Education Center) in Seward; $2,000,000 for equipment upgrades at the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center; and $1,700,000 for the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District instructional service center.
"This budget uses, ADA dividend to fund 4 projects," Scott said before outlining the line items. Committee members probed why Anchorage did not receive a direct new center allocation; Scott said the Senate prioritized existing statewide training assets and consulted Department of Labor staff on opportunities submitted to the Senate.
On maritime infrastructure, Scott said the Senate included funds for port electrification so cruise vessels can "plug in and turn off their generators" while in port, using both the Ocean Ranger account and the cruise passenger head tax (the latter subject to federal restrictions under the tonnage clause). He said $37,500,000 will be allocated to 16 cruise-port communities on a three-year visitor-average formula and that the Ocean Ranger account addition split $3,000,000 between Juneau and Ketchikan.
Scott also said the Senate included $5,300,000 for Renewable Energy Fund round 18 (top three projects per AEA/REFAC) and $4,000,000 each for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and the Alaska Travel Industry Association for marketing.
On a facility item, Scott said the judiciary plans to purchase the Stratton Library in Sitka from DEED and that the Senate included $2,000,000 toward that purchase; members questioned why the appropriation appears as UGF and Scott said prior transfer attempts were unsuccessful, so the Senate included a UGF appropriation to accomplish the purchase.
Committee members requested follow-up detail on program eligibility, fund capitalization, and how head-tax revenue would be allocated to ports.
