Alaska Senate fails to revive dividend bill

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Latest on the Alaska Legislature (all times local):

11:20 a.m.

The Alaska Senate has failed to revive a bill that would pay a full dividend from the state’s oil-wealth fund this year.

Senators deadlocked 10-10 Monday on a vote of whether to rescind their action last week, when they voted down the full payout. The next step for trying to reach agreement on a dividend remains to be seen.

The dividend is one of the last unresolved issues of the special session. Special sessions can last 30 days. That threshold will be reached on Friday.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has maintained that lawmakers should follow a longstanding formula and pay out a full dividend. Some lawmakers share his position. But there are legislators who contend the formula is unsustainable and outdated.

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8:50 a.m.

The Alaska Senate is expected to vote on whether to revive a bill that would pay residents a full dividend from the state’s oil-wealth fund this year.

Senate President Cathy Giessel said Sunday that vote will be taken up after the Senate convenes Monday.

Last week, with one prominent supporter of the proposal absent, the Senate voted down a full dividend payout, which would cost an estimated $1.9 billion for checks estimated to be around $3,000 to qualified residents. The bill was one vote short of passage.

Senators Monday are expected to vote on whether to rescind their action.

The dividend remains one of the last unresolved issues of the special session. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has maintained that lawmakers should follow a longstanding formula and pay out a full dividend.

AP-WF-06-10-19 1920GMT