Murkowski: Alaska Needs Long-Term Fiscal Plan

US. Senator Lisa Murkowski just laid it out for Alaska lawmakers. They need a solid long-term

fiscal plan now, with federal budgets shrinking in oil. Prices jumping all over the place.

She hit that stage in Juneau this week, stressing that the state cannot keep riding these

boom and bus cycles forever. Federal cuts are already biting hard, shifting costs for food

aid to states and trimming disaster funds. Meanwhile, those oil spikes from the Warren Iran?

Murkowski says do not bank on them lasting, windfalls fade fast, and lawmakers cannot wait for a bailout.

Governor Mike Dunleoby floated a first-ever statewide sales tax earlier this year,

but local spots with their own taxes push back strong.

Lawmakers tossed around oil and gas tax hikes instead, yet with surprise oil cash flowing in,

real action looks unlikely this session. Murkowski called out the state to,

on lagging matching funds that risk federal road dollars and unreliable ferry vets leaving a

78 million dollar whole. She backed a big Medicaid tweak, but warned Alaska must handle the new rural

health cash, right or lose it. Back 24 years ago, Murkowski herself wrestled this mess in the legislature,

pushing an income tax that tanked. History is repeating, she says, but the real fix starts with

building that political will to break the cycle once and for all. That's the story for today.

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