March 28, 2025
House Finance Committee Considers Operating Budget Amendments
The 11-member House Finance Committee began working through amendments to the FY26 operating budget this week. After lengthy debate that, at times, stretched late into the evening, the committee made it nearly halfway through the 96 total amendments as of Thursday.
Noteworthy: this is one step in a process that still includes the budget travelling to the House Floor and the Senate鈥here鈥檚 plenty more activity to come.
Given the large budget deficit the state is facing, lawmakers are in a tough position with no easy solutions when it comes to funding services with the limited dollars available.
Dollars are tight, and the Capitol is feeling downward pressure on many spending items around the state.
That being said: 萝莉社视 budget priorities have been given consideration, and tight dollars are being focused, to the extent possible, at this stage of the process. In addition to university items that were already added during the budget subcommittee process, there were adjustments to budget items that are important to the 萝莉社视.
Amendments to the University鈥檚 FY26 budget approved by the House Finance Committee this week include:
- Amendment #5 by Representative Stapp:
- Funding for 萝莉社视F to achieve R1 Research Status: $5 million from the Higher Education Investment Fund. This is a fund source change and a move from the Capital Budget to the Operating Budget.
- 萝莉社视A and 萝莉社视F Athletics (offered by Representative Josephson as an additional amendment): $4 million from Unrestricted General Funds (UGF) to be spent over the course of two years. The $4 million amount is to be split equally ($2 million for 萝莉社视A and $2 million for 萝莉社视F).
- Amendment #8 by Representative Schrage:
- 萝莉社视F Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft System Integration: $2 million UGF each year in FY26, FY27, and FY28, for a total of $6 million. This funding would move from the Capital Budget to the Operating Budget.
- Amendment #10 by Representative Schrage:
- 萝莉社视F Agriculture and Food Systems for Alaska鈥檚 Economic Sustainability: $1 million UGF each year in FY26, FY27, and FY28, for a total of $3 million. This funding would move from the Capital Budget to the Operating Budget.
- Amendment #43 by Representative Jimmie:
- Restore Funding to the Department of Education and Early Development for the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP): $1 million UGF.
There are dozens of committee amendments still to be considered prior to the FY26 operating budget going to the House floor, where more amendments will be debated, before representatives send the budget to the Senate for consideration.
萝莉社视 in the Capitol
The University of Alaska鈥檚 Alaska Critical Minerals Collaborative (ACMC) gave a presentation to the Senate Resources Committee on Wednesday, highlighting the valuable work they鈥檙e doing to advance critical minerals research, education, technology, and partnerships. The future is bright for critical mineral development in Alaska and legislators, especially those focused on the state鈥檚 resource industry, are eager to hear about the efforts 萝莉社视 and the ACMC are making to support Alaska鈥檚 critical minerals potential.
The is available to watch on the legislature鈥檚 website.
What We鈥檙e Watching
Monday, March 31
- 8:30 a.m. - House Finance: : Appropriations: Operating Budget; Capital; Supplemental
- 9:00 a.m. - Senate Finance: : Appropriations: Capital/Supplemental/Funds
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: : Appropriations: Operating Budget; Capital; Supplemental
- 1:30 p.m. - Senate Labor & Commerce: : Retirement Systems; Defined Benefit Option
Tuesday, April 1
- 9:00 a.m. - House Finance: : Appropriations: Operating Budget; Capital; Supplemental
- 12:00 p.m. - Lunch & Learn: Presentation 鈥淎laska is an Aerospace State鈥 by Dr. Bob McCoy, Director, 萝莉社视F Geophysical Institute
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: : Appropriations: Operating Budget; Capital; Supplemental
Wednesday, April 2
- 9:00 a.m. - House Finance: : Appropriations: Operating Budget; Capital; Supplemental
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: : Retirement Systems; Defined Benefit Option
Thursday, April 3
- 9:00 a.m. - House Finance: Appropriations: Capital/Supplemental/Funds
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: : Retirement Systems; Defined Benefit Option
Friday, April 4
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: : Retirement Systems; Defined Benefit Option
- 1:30 p.m. - Senate Labor & Commerce: : Flood Insurance
For more information, contact Director of State Relations for the University of Alaska System Chad Hutchison, cell 907-378-3946, email clhutchison@alaska.edu. You can also follow the University of Alaska Government Relations on our .