What’s New | Commonwealth North

What's New

July 29, 2024

Education Policy Spotlight: Funding Public Education in Alaska – Formulas and Fundamentals

Commissioner Deena Bishop and Lori Weed, School Finance Manager, with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development spoke to Commonwealth North on Wednesday, July 17. Bishop and Weed walked through how state aid for education is determined. Using the foundation formula, adjustments, the base student allocation, and any special appropriations, Alaska school districts receive an allocation based on funds appropriated by the legislature. For a program recap, see the session recording and speaker slides linked below:

PROGRAM RECAP

Download Speaker Slides

June 25, 2024

The State of the Alaska Housing Market

Experts from finance, construction, and housing and homelessness NGOs joined Commonwealth North to explore the issues and policies that are impacting the availability and affordability of housing across Alaska. Preston Simmons, representing Housing Alaskans Public Private Partnership, Daniel Delfino with the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., Colleen Dushkin with Cook Inlet Housing Authority, Eric Visser of Visser Construction and the Alaska State Home Building Association and Meg Zalatel with the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness shared insights about the challenges facing Alaskans in obtaining affordable housing in a timely manner.

Download the combined presenters’ slides

July 20, 2023

ICYMI: Positioning Alaska for the Carbon Markets

Commissioner John Boyle recently addressed Commonwealth North to discuss implementation of Senate Bill 48, which authorizes the state to develop carbon management projects on state lands and sell carbon offset credits and to lease state lands for carbon management purposes. He also addresses the prospect for pending legislation that would authorize the state to develop carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects (CCUS).

Slide Deck

April 10, 2023

ICYMI: House Ways & Means

Rep. Ben Carpenter, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee addresses Commonwealth North’s Fiscal Policy Study Group. Carpenter outlines that the committee chose the work of the 2021 Fiscal Policy Working Group as a starting point for its efforts. The committee is considering legislation that would codify a spending cap and dividend solution in the state constitution. A statewide sales tax of one percent and other revenue measures are also on the committee’s agenda.

April 10, 2023

ICYMI: Reporting Alaska

A panel of Alaska journalists, editors, and news directors speak about the challenges of Reporting Alaska. The panel is moderated by Rosey Robards, executive director of the Alaska Press Club and the Alaska Teen Media Institute. Panelists include Rachel Kallander, editor of The Cordova Times; Andrew Kitchenman, editor in chief of the Alaska Beacon; Julia O’Malley, journalist, editor and writer; Larry Persily, publisher of the Wrangell Sentinel; and Lori Townsend, news director for Alaska Public Media and host of Talk of Alaska.

April 10, 2023

ICYMI: Makushin Geothermal Project Update

Bernie Karl updates Commonwealth North’s Energy Policy Study Group on the Makushin Geothermal Project on March 10, 2023. Karl outlines project milestones to date and planned actions for future progress.

April 10, 2023

ICYMI: Constitutionalizing the Dividend

Senator Bill Wielechowski addressed Commonwealth North’s Fiscal Policy Study Group regarding his proposal to enshrine the Permanent Fund Dividend in the Alaska State Constitution on March 3, 2023.

April 10, 2023

ICYMI: A Spending Cap that Works

Senator James Kaufman, Senate District F, discusses a proposed amendment to the Alaska Constitution that would establish an appropriations limit based on a five-year trailing average of state gross domestic product. Senate Bill 20 is a companion bill, which would amend the Executive Budget Act to align with the proposed amendment. February 27, 2023

April 10, 2023

ICYMI: Energy Frontiers: Microreactors, Storage and more

Commonwealth North’s Energy Policy Study Group hears from Rob Bernard and Michael Valore of Westinghouse Electric. Bernard addresses a new approach to long-duration energy storage. He describes Westinghouse’s design for pumped thermal energy storage. Valore provides an update on the status of moving toward the commercialization of nuclear microreactors.

February 16, 2023

ICYMI: Legislative Finance’s Analysis of the Governor’s FY2024 Budget

Alexei Painter, director of the Division of Legislative Finance, provides an analysis of the Governor’s FY2024 operating and capital budgets. Painter responds to questions from the study group and references possible amendments to the governor’s proposed budget.