Medicare and Medicaid are mandatory spending programs and that keeps them relatively safe in the early days of the shutdown, but 42% of the Department of Health’s staff will be furloughed.
"government shutdown"
Alaska Legislature adopts budget, averts government shutdown
The Alaska Legislature has approved a budget and funded it with its rainy day budget reserve, avoiding a partial government shutdown and 10,000 layoffs.
State on the hook for millions in leave payouts if layoffs occur
The state is liable for paying tens of millions of dollars in leave time to state employees if a government shutdown occurs next month. The largest union of state employees isn’t negotiating for its members to keep their leave.
State shutdown could mean ‘conservative’ fishing season
The fish are coming to Alaska waters whether or not the Alaska Department of Fish & Game has its usual resources to manage them.
Tracking state layoff notices from the mailroom to the mailbox
A lot of unhappy letters are arriving this week at state worker’s homes, following the announcement of mass layoffs if the legislature can’t pass a budget by July 1.
Court employees assigned two days unpaid leave
About 800 Alaska Court System employees will be forced to take two days unpaid leave around the holidays.
Minority members schedule their own meetings as session drags on
With the 30-day special session at the halfway mark, seven meetings have been held on the budget, one on Medicaid expansion, and zero on a sexual abuse prevention bill known as Erin’s Law.
Funding Homeland Security: Where Do We Go From Here?
President Obama late Friday signed a stopgap measure to keep the department running for another week, but the tussle over his executive action on immigration, linked to the funding, is not over yet.
‘Cromnibus’ Spending Bill Passes, Just Hours Before Deadline
Faced with uncertainty over Congress meeting its deadline to approve a bill, the House’s leadership decided to vote on both a long-term spending bill and a stop-gap continuing resolution.
Stomp for Halibut!
“Vote for Halibut instead of the folks that are in power,” says this fisherman from Sitka, Alaska who wishes to remain anonymous. Passersby in Juneau began to notice the fisherman on well-trafficked street corners near the end of the week of October, 14th. Watch a video and listen to a short interview as he…