Legislature to hear public testimony on ferry system and PFD

Legislature to hear public testimony on ferry system and PFD

There will be opportunity to testify Tuesday at the Capitol regarding proposed budget cuts

The House Transportation Committee will take public testimony on the Alaska Marine Highway System Tuesday from 1:30-3 p.m., and then again from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

The Senate State Affairs committee is also hearing testimony on the Permanent Fund Dividend payback plan starting at 6 p.m.

The ferry system is facing a $97 million cut — 75 percent of its budget — under Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget for fiscal 2020. The ferry system may only operate seasonally instead of year-round. The AMHS has stopped taking reservations after Oct. 1.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The AMHS could be facing up to 253 union job losses under Dunleavy’s proposed budget, according to Robb Arnold, a member of the Inland Boatman’s Union. The IBU is one of three unions that work with the ferry system. That job reduction would include 100 jobs in Juneau and 81 in Ketchikan, Arnold said. Arnold said he and other union members learned that this during a meeting in February with Department of Transportation officials.

For those wanting to testify, please go to your local Legislative Information Office (LIO) either between 1:30-3 p.m. or between 5:30 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

LIO Kenai is located at 145 Main Street Loop, Suite 217. People who live in villages or other rural areas without an LIO can call 844-586-9085. These phone lines are limited, so the best bet to be heard is to go to an LIO if you live in an area that has one.


• Contact reporter Mollie Barnes at mbarnes@juneauempire.com or 523-2228.


More in News

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Robert Weaver was last seen at the Doroshin Bay public use cabin on June 25, 2025. (Photo provided by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
Updated: Refuge ends search efforts for missing man

Robert Weaver was last seen near Skilak Lake on June 25.

The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team conducts a training mission in Seward, Alaska in 2024. Photo courtesy of the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team
Anchor Point fundraiser to benefit Alaska rescue and recovery group

Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization established in 2016.

Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic staff (left to right) Angie Holland, RN; Jane Rohr, Sonja Martin Young, CNM; Robin Holmes, MD; and Cherie Bole, CMA provide an array of reproductive and sexual health services. (Photo provided by KBFPC)
Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic releases report on STI trends on the Kenai Peninsula

The report pulls from data gathered from 2024 to early 2025.

Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Swimmers, parents call on Kenai to support Kenai Central pool

The KPBSD Board of Education last week said communities will need to step up and take over administration of pools within the next year.

Most Read