Alaska Senate passes capital budget

JUNEAU, Alaska – The Alaska Senate has passed what a key lawmaker calls a skinny capital budget that largely leverages federal dollars for infrastructure and water projects.

The total package, which includes some supplemental spending items for the current budget year, totals about $1.4 billion. The vast majority of that is federal money.

The measure includes about $70 million for deferred maintenance; $3 million for current-year costs due to nursing shortages within the Department of Corrections and $2.5 million for a south Denali visitor centre.

It also allows the Alaska Gasline Development Authority to accept up to $25 million in third-party funds for ongoing work on a federal review of that project.

The bill passed unanimously and next goes to the House.