Commonwealth North is Alaska's premier non-partisan public policy forum.
Join us to learn more about critical policy issues facing Alaska.
Fiscal Policy Study Group
with
Senator Natasha von Imhof
Representative Jennifer Johnston
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
4300 Boniface Pkwy
Last Friday ISER Director Ralph Townsend gave a thought-provoking presentation on the policy options and implications for use of Permanent Fund earnings. Of particular interest is the impact that inflation-proofing the fund may have on Fund earnings available in future years. This Friday Rep. Jennifer Johnston, House Finance Committee co-chair, and Sen. Natasha von Imhoff, Senate Finance Co-Chair will join the group to continue this discussion and to share the Legislature’s perspective and considerations on this important policy option.
This program has sold out.
Join us for lunch and a conversation with Governor Mike Dunleavy. As the 2020 legislative session approaches, this will be an opportunity for him to reflect on his proposed budget and the upcoming session.
Advance registration required, contact CWN office at (907) 258-9522 to pay by phone.
Energy Action Coalition
Reducing the Cost of Energy in Alaska
with Curtis Thayer, Executive Director
Alaska Energy Authority
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union
500 W. 36th Ave, Room 201
Noon – 1 p.m.
His PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here.
Fiscal Policy Study Group
Inflation-proofing, the POMV draw, and the Earnings Reserve:
Understanding the Interconnections
with Professor Ralph Townsend, Director of ISER
BP Energy Center
8am-9am
Building opens at 7:45am
The PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here.
In 2018, the Legislature passed SB 26 which established a “percent of market value” (POMV) which defines and limits how much will be transferred each year from the Permanent Fund’s Earnings Reserve to the state for the operating budget (including the amount for the Permanent Fund Dividend.) The amount in the Earnings Reserve will fluctuate, so it must be effectively managed in order to reduce the risk that the POMV could not be paid in some future year.
The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation commissioned analyses to model the probability that the Earnings Reserve would not have sufficient funds to pay the POMV formula in the future. One analysis concluded that the Earnings Reserve should have $12 billion as a minimum to minimize the risk of not being able to pay the POMV.
Ralph’s presentation will explore how inflation proofing the Permanent Fund interacts with the goal of managing the Fund’s Earnings Reserve in order to maintain a sustainable annual draw.
Fiscal Policy Study Group
Office of Management and Budget
Wednesday, December 18th
12:00am-1pm
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union
500 W 36th Avenue
room 201
Join us Wednesday at noon for a briefing from the State’s Office of Management and Budget on the Governor’s new FY21 budget proposal.
Fiscal Policy Study Group
Kelly Tshibaka, Commissioner of Administration
Friday, December 6th
11:30am-1pm
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union
500 W 36th Avenue
room 201
We will have two topics of discussion this Friday. From 11:30am to noon, we will discuss a draft CWN summary regarding the State’s current moratorium on new projects participating in Alaska’s State Debt Reimbursement Program and school construction funding. We anticipate it being a topic of discussion at next week’s luncheon with legislators.
Then, at noon, we will host Kelly Tshibaka, Commissioner of the Department of Administration. The department oversees much of the internal operations of state government—from accounting to risk management to IT—plus programs that serve Alaskans, such as the Public Defender Agency and Division of Motor Vehicles. She is leading the department’s work to ensure that services are effective and delivered with efficiency; pursuing innovations and cost savings; and achieving results.
A focus on program effectiveness and delivery of results has been a priority in past CWN Study Group reports on the state budget. The Commissioner will brief the study group on the department’s work on these and other accountability measures.