"sen. anna mackinnon"

A panel of Alaska legislators voted 11-1 on Tuesday afternoon to sue Gov. Mike Dunleavy over his decision to bypass legislative confirmation for his picks for state boards and commissions.

Legal experts say flaw in bill could lead to provision from unpopular Senate Bill 91 remaining in place.

MacKinnon noted that if the state had issued the bonds last fall, it would have saved money so far.

Ride-sharing company Uber left Alaska in 2015, agreeing not to return until a state law was in place that exempted the company from paying workers’ compensation insurance for its drivers.

Now, three state legislators are leading the effort to lay the groundwork for the company’s return, including a measure moving through the state House and one in the Senate.

MacKinnon said she’d like to see members of all legislative caucuses work on solutions on a limited number of issues.

It’s not certain the Permanent Fund bill will come up for a vote.

Without changes, the state runs the risk of exhausting its savings – imperiling all dividends – in a few years.

Walker also pushed back against a different legislative proposal to draw money from Permanent Fund earnings to cover the state’s $4 billion deficit.

State budget director Pat Pitney warned that shorting the Kivalina school project could reopen lawsuits about inequalities in rural school funding.

Because the state government has a $4 billion deficit, some lawmakers have suggested drawing money from the fund to pay for other state costs.